Unusual Eagle Attacks Wound Three in Alaska

Steve Lewis, a Fish and Wildlife Service biologist specializing in eagles and raptors, said this type of encounter is “strange” for the Kodiak area.

“I’ve dealt with eagles in lots of places and normally they just aren’t that defensive,” Lewis told Alaska Public Media. “I’ve climbed nest trees. And most of the nest trees, in fact all of them, the (eagles) don’t dive-bomb you as you’re climbing, like when you get to the nest. They are definitely aggravated. You can see them flying around and they are calling, but they aren’t diving at you or anything aggressive.”

Some folks speculated that the eagles may be protecting a nest. However, according to Lewis, bald eagles’ breeding season goes from March to the end of August, and the fledglings typically begin to fly out of the nest at this point in July or earlier.

Kodiak is the third-largest commercial fishing port in the United States. It’s a world leader in king crab production, ranks among the top four national ports in halibut production, and is also a cargo port. Saint Herman Harbor is the largest in the area and can hold about 900 vessels in the summer.

All that is to say, a fair amount of fish comes through Dog Bay on a daily basis.

“I think they are probably getting fed by people around the harbor,” Lewis said. “And I think that in a similar way that it kind of changes how bears are, if they start getting food from people, they become more aggressive towards people. I think that might be similar to what’s going on with these birds.”

Bald eagles are protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which “prohibits anyone, without a permit issued by the Secretary of the Interior, from ‘taking’ bald or golden eagles, including their parts (including feathers), nests, or eggs.” The act defines “taking” as “pursue, shoot, shoot at, poison, wound, kill, capture, trap, collect, molest, or disturb.”

So, a fed bird likely won’t result in a dead bird unless things get severely out of hand and a federal take permit is issued.

For now, Lewis recommends that folks walking around St. Herman Harbor hold something above their heads to protect themselves and monitor the birds' behavior. He said eagles tend to attack the highest point of a person, so holding a hat or umbrella above your head could help avoid injury.

One Facebook user, however, has a different take on dealing with aggressive eagles. Jamie Butler Bennet reposted the harbor department’s warning with the addition: “This is the very reason I teach kickboxing. You can join me on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm or Saturdays at 9:00 am to learn how to defend yourself in an eagle attack 👊 Your first class is free!”

Better work on that high kick if you plan on venturing out on Dog Bay.

All jokes aside, if do you encounter an aggressive eagle at the harbor or elsewhere on Kodiak, contact Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, at 907-487-2600.