22 May 2020

Loon-on-eagle haliacide

A lake on the outskirts of Portland, Maine, became a highly unusually scene last summer when a kayaker happened upon a dead bald eagle floating face down, pierced through the heart... It’s the first documented case of loon-on-eagle haliacide (Haliaeetus leucocephalus being the Latin name for bald eagles)... The scene also included a dead loon chick... 
An autopsy report revealed that the puncture wound in the eagle’s chest was consistent with the size and shape of a loon’s bill... male loons in particular will defend their territory from interlopers by diving below the water and then propelling themselves up to jab at their foes. Loons are often marked with scars from these kinds of attacks... 
“We have seen lots of instances where eagles and loons are interacting in this way, [where] an eagle is going after either adults or their chicks, and loons trying to defend themselves or defend their chicks. This is the first instance that we know of where an eagle was actually killed by a loon.” 
Loons also aren’t afraid to stand up to people...
More details at Gizmodo.  Posted for my friends up at Leech Lake.

2 comments:

  1. > This is the first instance that we know of where an eagle was actually killed by a loon.

    An apt metaphor in the year 2020.

    ReplyDelete