Bald Eagle Mom Chooses To Adopt - Not Eat - A Baby Hawk

June 11, 2017

Red-tailed hawks usually fear eagles in nature, competing for similar prey -- and sometimes becoming prey themselves. But in Sidney, B.C., one bald eagle is defying the usual bird politics, taking a baby hawk into her nest and under her wing.

Dr. David Bird, of the Hancock Wildlife Foundation, says the female bald eagle most likely snatched the four-week old red-tailed hawk from its nest with the intention of serving it as food to her eaglets. But instead, something unbelievable occurred.

"What probably happened in this case is that when they brought this little guy back, he probably begged for food, as he would do, not even realizing the danger it was in," said Dr. Bird, who has been helping to monitor the nest.

The hawk's desperate squawks likely triggered the mother eagle's instinct to feed, rather than eat the baby bird.

The red-tailed hawk is currently sharing a nest with three eaglets, who are all twice its size.

The video below shows the mother eagle feeding the baby hawk as well as her own young.

Click Here For The Most Popular On Sunny Skyz

feel good videoCouple Rescues Prairie Dog From Their Dog's Mouth, Then Decides To Adopt It

feel good storiesHungry Elephant Casually Walks Into Grocery Store For Snacks In Thailand

feel good storiesWild Orcas Keep Giving Humans Gifts, Leaving Experts Puzzled

feel good storiesMy Girlfriend Gifted Me My Father’s Handwriting To Keep Forever

feel good storiesWe Can’t Stop Looking At These Adorable Baby Loon Photos Taken On A Lake

feel good videoThe Funniest Dog Reactions To Hearing 'Walk' — You’ll Be Laughing Out Loud

feel good videoHero Dog Named RAMBO Scares Off Masked Robbers To Save Woman

feel good video'Am I Allowed To Be This Happy?' The Moment A Nervous Foster Dog Finally Lies In A Dog Bed

feel good videoGrandma Thinks She's 60. Her Reaction To Learning She's 90 Is Priceless

feel good videoChicken Or Pigeon? The Internet Can’t Believe This Bird Is Real

Chris Filippou 12:17 PM (3 minutes ago) to me