Officials: Loon killed bald eagle by stabbing its heart

A bald eagle died last year in Maine after being stabbed through heart by a loon, wildlife officials said.

A biologist at Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife recently got word about July 2019 attack,

Danielle D’Auria believes it to be one of strangest cases of eagle death she has ever seen.

bird h been found with a puncture would in its chest by a loon biologist in New Hampshire. A de loon chick was also discovered near eagle.

When D'Auria heard about case she h bird riographed for a possible bullet wound as it is illegal in U.S. to kill bald eagles.

evidence showed gun residue but indicated that big bird h been stabbed through heart by beak of a loon.

“We kw conflicts between bald eagles and loons have soared in recent years as a result of recovery of our eagle population,” D’Auria wrote in a blog entry for state ncy. “We are seeing more and more eagle predation on loon chicks and even ult loons.”

biologist believes loon's attack was a result of its attempt to protect its chick from bird.

D'Auria wrote evidence is important because it shows an attack that appears to be first recorded wherein a loon has killed an eagle.

She ded, "Who would think a loon would stand a chance against such a powerful predator?”

(Representative Im)