A new video out of Alaska captures dozens of bald eagles all in the same place at the same time. It’s a surprising sight, as the bird is a primarily solitary creature and usually hunts alone. However, that’s not the case at this garbage dump.
Wildlife photographer Tyler Bryan captured this video and said hundreds of bald eagles were there. In the clip, you can see what looks like an army of birds waiting around for food.
When asked why they’re grouped together, Bryan says this is a dump. While bald eagles are raptors that hunt birds and small rodents, they are also known as scavengers.
Alaska is a good place to start if you’re looking to capture a photo of an eagle. The bird is found only in North America, with the largest population in Alaska. Bryan says some estimates are around 30,000 birds across the state.
While there are plenty of bald eagles in Alaska, only places like this will cause a large gathering. Bald eagles will even migrate solo but usually return to the same nest year after year. The birds typically mate for life.
Bald eagles, which may be best known as the national bird of the United States, have taken many significant steps in rebounding their population in the last few decades. The species was one of the first added to the endangered species list after hunting, habitat loss, and the use of pesticides nearly wiped the species out. Federal officials removed bald eagles from the endangered and threatened species list in 2007.