This Fearless Little Bird in Minnesota Dive-Bombs Eagles

I've always loved watching the wild kingdom in action. Whether it's in person, crazy wildlife videos, or documentaries, I'm all in. So, this interaction between some birds I saw recently had me searching for answers.

While watching a soccer game at Duluth East High School over the weekend, a pair of eagles flew over the field. That alone was a cool visual. But what happened just a few minutes later was absolutely wild.

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An Unexpected Aerial Show in Minnesota

It turns out the eagles have a nest in a tall tree right next to the stadium. After taking a short flight over the field, they returned to their nest. After a while, one of the eagles took off again and began soaring near the tree. That’s when things got interesting.

Out of nowhere, a tiny, aggressive bird began dive-bombing the eagle. This little bird, no bigger than your average robin, hit the eagle several times while it was in flight. Moments later, several more of these little birds joined in, going after the eagle together.

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Despite the repeated attacks, the eagle never retaliated. In fact, it looked like it was having fun, toying with the smaller birds. A quick check on some bird apps I keep handy helped identify the feisty bird: the eastern kingbird.

Eagle vs. Kingbirds: The Unexpected Battle

Eastern kingbirds are found all across Minnesota and Wisconsin. They’re known for their bold behavior, especially dive-bombing larger birds like hawks and eagles. It’s a bold move for such a small bird, but it happens more often than you’d think.

Here’s a great photo I found showing the massive size difference between the eagle and the kingbird. The bravery, or audacity, of these little birds is something to see.