BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Bald Eagle Kidnapped Baby Hawk and Raised It

Birdwatchers were convinced the eagle was bringing it back to the nest to kill it.

A bald eagle in Northern California brought a baby hawk back to her nest—and astonished birdwatchers by raising it as her own. The eagle had a baby of her own in the nest, according to photographer Doug Gillard, who assumed the little kidnapped red-tailed hawk was going to be a meal, The Sacramento Bee reports. Instead, a week later, the hawk was still alive and well, and fledged from the nest a few days after the eaglet. “He was only out of the nest a short time and stayed around the base of the tree. He was able to make it back up to the nest! An amazing accomplishment under the circumstances!” Gillard posted on social media.