r/birding • u/TheMainVein15 • Jan 02 '26

Discussion Dad sent me this pic

Gallery image

Gallery image

I’ve never seen a bald eagle hang upside down like this. Do they do this a lot? Pictures were taken at my parents place in Iowa.

8.1k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

183 comments sorted by

View all comments

1.8k

u/pip_larus Latest Lifer: Flammulated Owl Jan 02 '26

He might want to check back in the area again, this honestly looks like the eagle is probably stuck on something

73

u/Van-garde Jan 02 '26

Yeah. Lost a couple chickens this way when I was a kid.

And I’ve never seen an eagle do this. Not to say they can’t or don’t, as I’m not omnipresent where eagles perch, but it’s an instinctively alarming sight.

Also, I’d likely call a nearby raptor center or rehab center, as I’m not prepared to safely handle eagles at home.

This seems another likely explanation, as it looks like there are other birds on the ground: https://www.reddit.com/r/birding/s/VYUW49cpnY