Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Amazing moment bald eagle chases down and catches a starling in mid-air

By Mail Foreign Service 17th March 2010

This tiny starling didn't stand a chance after a hungry bald eagle chose it as a mid-air snack. These incredible pictures are from Photographer Rob.Palmer in Littleton, Colorado.

The 56-year-old said: "I noticed a group of eagles sitting in the trees and then I spotted they were catching the starlings and blackbirds. Over ten days I saw at least 50 starlings getting caught and eaten by various eagles. It would happen anywhere from 100 to 500ft in the air."

The bald eagle, native to North America, can grow up to 3ft long and has a wingspan of 8ft. The bird of prey eats mostly fish, but is known to be an opportunistic feeder - eating anything from small mammals like rabbits to larger prey like the Great Blue Heron. Bald eagles can reach speeds of up to 43 miles per hour and are able to dive for fish at an incredible 99 miles per hour.

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