Bald eagle attacks shock Alaskans in Kodiak

Aggressive bald eagles have caused a stir in Alaska after attacking several people in recent weeks, prompting local authorities to issue a warning.

According to officials with the Kodiak City Port Authority, at least three locals in Kodiak, an island of the same name in the Gulf of Alaska, were recently attacked by the national bird.

The incidents at St. Herman’s Boat Harbor, also known as Dog Bay, left victims bleeding and requiring stitches.

It is unclear why the majestic birds of prey are targeting humans, but local authorities have warned residents to be cautious.

“We are advising port users in the area to be cautious and avoid the area if possible. Our port staff are now holding something over their heads when they are near the nest,” David Johnson, harbormaster and port director, told Fox News.

“The eagles are still behaving aggressively, but due to increased attention, the number of successful attacks appears to have decreased compared to last week,” he continued.

“I don’t know what’s making these freedom chickens so upset, but hopefully they’ll get over it soon,” Johnson added.

According to Steve Lewis, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS) biologist who studies eagles and other birds of prey, the attacks are certainly “strange” for the Kodiak area.

He told local station KMXT that people walking near the harbor should hold something over their heads to protect themselves, as the bald eagles typically “attack the highest point on a person that is visible to them.”

Shrimp boat captain and Kodiak local Bill Prout told Fox News he was attacked by a bald eagle at the same docks in August 2022.

He said it felt “like someone had hit me in the neck with a beam.”

“I have been walking along these docks for over 40 years and never expected to be attacked by a bald eagle – a majestic symbol of our freedom,” Prout said.

Prout believes the attacks are due to the birds’ diminishing food supply as their population increases.

According to the FWS, adult bald eagles are 75 to 100 centimeters long from head to tail fin, have a wingspan of 2.1 to 2.4 meters, and weigh between 3.6 and 6.3 kilograms.

They mate for life, can live up to 30 years in the wild, and feed primarily on fish, but have also been known to eat ducks, rodents, snakes, and carrion.