Whale watchers were recently treated to an even more incredible sight in the sky above them: a pair of bald eagles locking talons in a mesmerizing courtship ritual! This spectacular wildlife moment was thankfully captured on camera. In the TikTok video, two eagles fly toward one another, grab each other’s feet, and spin through the air together like a pinwheel! You can hear the human observers cheering in the background, floored by the display.
According to BirdNote, locking talons is pretty common for bald eagles. However, it’s not always for courtship purposes; sometimes, fighting eagles perform this “cartwheel display.” We’re not sure whether the birds in the footage were friends or foes, but their flight was amazing to watch either way. Just think, if these whale watchers hadn’t looked up, they would have missed out on this fantastic moment!
“This is incredibly rare to see,” wrote one commenter. “You are very lucky.”
What happens after two eagles successfully lock talons? Well, for one thing, they’ll probably want to start a family together! This Southern California live cam fascinated viewers with its footage of an eagle couple caring for their eggs.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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