‘Strange’ bald eagle attacks at Kodiak harbor cause multiple injuries

Bald eagles are seen successful ample groups astir St. Herman Harbor and different Kodiak larboard facilities, passim nan year. (Courtesy Mathew Schwartz/Unsplash)

Dock users astatine Kodiak’s biggest vessel harbor are being urged to support an oculus retired for bald eagles successful nan area, arsenic respective attacks connected group person been reported successful nan past week.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service unit opportunity this is simply a uncommon occurrence, but residents should still beryllium wary erstwhile successful nan area of St. Herman Harbor.

In a Thursday Facebook post, Kodiak Harbormaster and Port Director Dave Johnson warned visitors to nan harbor, besides known arsenic Dog Bay, of astatine slightest 3 eagle attacks successful a circumstantial area of its dock.

Kodiak Island Borough Assembly personnel James Turner confirmed nan attacks astatine an Assembly activity convention Thursday. He said a fewer group required sutures connected their heads. Turner is besides nan section works head for OBI Seafoods.

“Be observant complete successful Dog Bay, stepping connected L and M floats. There person been aggregate eagle attacks,” Turner said. “U.S. Fish and Wildlife is looking into this. But aggregate group person been attacked and aggregate group person needed stitches.”

Steve Lewis, a Fish and Wildlife Service biologist pinch a attraction connected eagles and raptors, said this type of brushwood is “strange” for nan Kodiak area.

“I’ve dealt pinch eagles successful tons of places and usually they conscionable aren’t that defensive,” Lewis said. “Like I’ve done things, for illustration I’ve climbed nest trees. And astir of nan nest trees, successful truth each of them, nan (eagles) don’t dive-bomb you arsenic you’re climbing, for illustration erstwhile you get to nan nest. They are decidedly aggravated. You tin spot them flying astir and they are calling, but they aren’t diving astatine you aliases thing aggressive.”

This benignant of onslaught is uncommon successful Kodiak, though Unalaska successful nan Aleutian Islands is considered to person the most eagle attacks of immoderate metropolis successful nan country. For instance, immoderate nesting eagles are known to onslaught Unalaska residents arsenic they pick up their message from nan section station office or locomotion successful definite areas of town.

But successful Kodiak, Lewis suspects this 1 fierce eagle was not protecting a nest. Instead its behaviour mightiness beryllium owed to nan abundance of dormant food and nutrient scraps disposable astir nan docks. He adds that it could perchance beryllium a brace protecting a nest, but he is not arsenic convinced of that explanation. Bald eagles’ breeding play goes from March to nan extremity of August, according to Lewis, pinch nan young fledglings starting to alert retired of nan nest astatine this constituent successful July aliases earlier.

“I deliberation they are astir apt getting fed by group astir nan harbor,” Lewis said. “And I deliberation that successful a akin measurement that it benignant of changes really bears are, if they commencement getting nutrient from people, they go much fierce towards people. I deliberation that mightiness beryllium akin to what’s going connected pinch these birds.”

The bald eagle is nan nationalist vertebrate of nan United States and has definite protections, though permits tin beryllium obtained for typical uses for illustration for subject aliases to make Alaska Native handicrafts nether nan Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Fish and Wildlife Service just updated its licence program for bald and aureate eagles earlier this twelvemonth successful April. As such, it is forbidden to harm aliases termination a bald eagle.

Kodiak Ports and Harbor unit put flyers up adjacent Floats L & M of St. Herman Harbor informing of bald eagle attacks successful nan area. (Davis Hovey/KMXT)

Lewis recommends anyone stepping successful nan area of St. Herman Harbor should clasp thing supra their heads to protect themselves, aliases proceed to watch nan birds truthful that they won’t swoop down and onslaught different people. Lewis said eagles thin to onslaught nan highest constituent of a personification that is visible to them, truthful holding a chapeau aliases umbrella supra your caput could thief protect you from injury.

If you brushwood an fierce eagle astatine nan harbor aliases elsewhere successful Kodiak, you tin study that accusation to nan Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, astatine 907-487-2600. If you request contiguous assistance astatine nan harbor, you tin telephone nan harbor serviceman astatine 907-486-8080.