This young eagle gets beaten up by 2 secretary birds when it lands too close to their nesting spot and babies.
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Duane Calligeros captured this bizarre sighting and shared his story and footage with LatestSightings.com.
Secretary birds are tall birds found in Africa’s grasslands. With a black crest and long legs they are some of the most efficient hunters. They hunt for snakes, insects, and small animals using a fascinating method called “stomping.” They lift one leg and stomp quickly on their prey to catch and eat it.
“Secretary birds are not the rarest birds in the park, but they are scarce on occasions. This particular day, we were fortunate to have found two adult birds foraging in the undergrowth for food. These birds are known snake killers and often will tramp a snake to death before eating it.”
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“The calm sighting soon turned to chaos when a tawny eagle swooped down between the two birds. It was bizarre, we thought; why would it do such a thing? Perhaps thinking there was a potential snack it could scavenge and make off with, or just sheer curiosity?”
“The secretary birds, on the other hand, were not very amused by the intruder. They immediately took guard and circled the eagle. It was at that point that we realized this was a juvenile tawny eagle. He was now surrounded and scared!”
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“One by one, the secretary birds went to work, attacking the eagle with their long legs and sharp nails. The eagle, trying to emerge bigger, flapped its wings, but was no match for the two big birds.”
The birds attacking a juvenile eagle could be attributed to territorial defense or protecting their nest and young. Secretary birds are known to be highly territorial, and when they perceive a threat to their nesting area or food sources, they may aggressively react. The juvenile eagle might have unknowingly encroached upon the secretary birds’ territory, triggering a defensive response. Additionally, secretary birds are protective parents, and if their nest or chicks were nearby, they could have perceived the young eagle as a potential predator and responded instinctively to safeguard their offspring.