Bald eagles have been my favorite birds for as long as I can remember. They are always poised and dignified, yet they are also true predators that exude respect and awe.
However, these majestic birds aren’t always as composed as they appear, and they too have their moments of ‘weakness’ and silliness.
In fact, they are more similar to us in some areas than we might think.
Recent Facebook post from Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield helped me realize just who silly bald eagles can be.
A couple of weeks ago, a group of wildlife rescuers from the Missouri Department of Conservation spotted a bald eagle on the park’s periphery. The bird was unable to fly, appearing badly injured.
Without a moment of hesitation, they took the bird in, sincerely hoping to rehabilitate the bird as quickly as possible.
The bald eagle was thoroughly examined, but the team couldn’t find any visible injuries on its wings, head, and leg bones.
So, they performed an x-ray at Dickerson Park Zoo, discovering something that made everyone laugh!
Believe it or not, the x-ray revealed the paws of a raccoon inside the eagle’s bloated stomach.
It turned out the bird wasn’t injured at all – just a bit ‘too fat to fly.’ The poor thing had eaten a little too much and was now unable to soar through the sky with its broad wings, haha.
Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield shared their discovery with their Facebook friends, writing the following:
“The Missouri Department of Conservation captured a bald eagle along the boundary of Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. The eagle has been rehabilitated and released back into the park. The bird, originally reported to be injured, was found to be healthy but engorged with raccoon – in other words, too fat to fly.”
People in the comment section of this Facebook post adored this funny story. One person wrote:
“Just like us humans on Thanksgiving.”
A woman commented:
“For appearing as majestic as they do, bald eagles really are just goofy birbs. (Not a typo. My teen says they definitely give off “birb” energy, rather than proper “bird” vibes.)”
And another said:
“So American I love it 😂😂😂”
It’s hard not to relate to this bald eagle, right? We’ve all been full and unable to move at least once in our lives, so I’m sure we know how this bird felt.
Thankfully, the bald eagle soon recovered and was released back into the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield.
Let’s just hope it learned its lesson and will know how to portion its meals in the future.