For this bald eagle, persistence pays off: After multiple aerial attempts to secure what seems to be a waterlogged nutria, Baldie resorts to an amphibious attack and鈥hat鈥檚 this? It breaststrokes to shore! (Hope that water rodent鈥檚 worth the effort.)
Such a tactic is 鈥渟ort of a fallback approach鈥 for various , a group of large, fish-eating eagles that includes our country鈥檚 mascot, says bird expert Kenn Kaufman. Sometimes the birds dive for food at the water鈥檚 surface only to discover that it鈥檚 bigger than they calculated. In that case, 鈥渋f there鈥檚 land somewhere nearby, then they may [instead] go flopping along the surface and grab their prey out,鈥 says Kaufman. It's obviously a successful strategy, but one that comes at a price鈥攁t least for the majestic bald eagle: 鈥淭hey lose some of their regal bearing when they do that," says Kaufman.
A few more clips of breastsroking eagles follow. Watch out , these feathered swimmers have got their eyes on the prize:
This one truly looks like an Olympian from a distance. Look at 'em go!