Rare sighting of bald eagle captured on top of ice at Central Park Reservoir in NYC

A bald eagle nicknamed ‘Rover’ has been spotted perching on ice at Central Park Reservoir before diving and catching a seagull in mid-ar. 

The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation was one of many to  document the sighting on their page as the eagle was spotted sitting on the ice at the Central Park Reservoir. 

The eagle has become a social media darling as city residents have seen the creature flying overheard over the course of the week. 

In fact, Connecticut Fish and Wildlife revealed that the eagle has been tagged as ‘R7’, Rover, who has been roaming around the city since 2020.

Rover had been banded by CT DEEP wildlife biologists in New Haven, Connecticut in May 2018. 

A rare sighting of a bald eagle was spotted in NYC over the course of the past week as the creature has been seen around the city flying in the sky and catching prey

The bird was captured perched on top of the ice on Tuesday at the Central Park Reservoir

The creature was previously seen perched on the ice on Sunday catching another bird as its prey

The eagle was previously seen catching another bird as his prey at the Central Park Reservoir on Sunday

Social media user Emily Bernay captured the eagle going after the bird to use for his dinner and posted the footage on her Twitter and TikTok account

The eagle has been tagged as R7, or Rover, by Connecticut Fish & Wildlife who has been roaming around the city since 2020

The creature had been banded by CT DEEP wildlife biologists from New Haven, Connecticut in May 2018

Bald eagle sightings in NYC are considered to be rare during this time of year as they normally spend their winters in forested areas near US waterways.

The creature was previously seen at the same reservoir on Sunday after he was seen hunting down another bird on the ice.

Social media user Emily Bernay captured the eagle going after the bird to use for his dinner and posted the footage on her Twitter and TikTok account.

Despite frequenting wooded areas, reservoirs happen to be an ideal location for bald eagles to hunt for prey, according to Manhattan Bird Alert. 

‘That’s because the Reservoir attracts hundreds of waterfowl that swim on it or perch on the ice,’ they told Patch. 

‘The predators watch for signs of weakness, birds that look injured, ill, or simply unaware. Then they strike!’

The eagle became a social media darling as NYC residents captured the creature throughout the week

Although fellow birds are not considered to be their typical prey of choice, bald eagles will typically devour anything they can get in their reach.  

The Hudson River in the southern region of New York State is considered to be one of the best locations to go eagle scouting.

Other ideal locations for finding these creatures can include Croton Point State Park in Westchester County, Alley Pond Park Environmental Center in Queens and Constitution Marsh Sanctuary and Audubon Center in Garrison.

Eagles can typically be found nesting and perching in trees in heavily wooded areas.

Eagles can typically be seen soaring in the sky or perched on top of tall trees in heavily wooded areas, especially during the course of the winter

Human spectators are advised to keep a safe distance from these creatures 

In terms of their diet, these creatures like to feed on fish and can be seen staking out their prey near ice flows and river islands. 

The best season to watch for eagles is considered to be winter as they typically arrive in December and can be spotted throughout the course of the season during early morning and late afternoon periods.

In order to keep these creatures safe, human spectators are advised to avoid approaching eagles closer than a quarter mile and to avoid roosting areas.

In addition, they are also advised to refrain from making loud noises and avoiding any kind of behavior to make the bird fly.