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Bird-eat-bird world: B.C. couple wowed by eagle seen snatching ‘lunch’ in city

Resident captures bird’s slow ascent carrying its catch before ducking out of sight

An eagle grabbing takeout during a drive through the busy streets of Greater Victoria isn’t something you see every day.

So when Amalea Smithson saw a big bird in the next lane of traffic with its talons full, she rushed to get out her phone and capture proof.

“My hubby and I were just driving down Interurban when suddenly we saw the eagle flying very low to the ground in the other lane, it likely had just picked up – what looks like – a hawk or another bird of some kind. My husband thought it seemed to be struggling to fly higher with the weight of its catch,” she told Black Press Media.

“Definitely was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen and I bet it would have been even cooler to see from the other angle – the front of the eagle.”

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The video shows a low-flying eagle slowly gain altitude in traffic. As her husband speculates about what’s in its talons – it appears to be some other kind of bird.

Smithson posted her wildlife interaction online – in part to remind residents that wildlife lives among us – and so far it’s had more than 900 reactions.

“They’re out there all the time, it’s just catching such a cool shot like that, so close to the ground with something in its talons… it was neat,” Smithson said.

“It’s just a reminder that even though we don’t see them on video, we’re still in the middle of nature where they’re still catching things … even though we’ve built infrastructure and roads through their habitat.”

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About the Author: Christine van Reeuwyk

Longtime journalist with the Greater Victoria news team.
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