Eagle circling child holding gosling

[Pineconechick]

So my little daughter (just turned 4) has become enamored with a new gosling. She carries it around with her a lot and really loves it. I was out tilling the back field and looked back and noticed she was following me with that little gosling...heartwarming, adorable, all that BUT a second later I saw an eagle circling; I thought it was circling the little pond but as my daughter got closer I realized it was circling HER!
I don’t want to ask a stupid question but would there be any chance that eagle would swoop down and take the gosling from her (or if she sat down and set the gosling in front of her on the ground)?

 

[The chicken wizard]

possibly...sure it was an eagle and not something smaller like a hawk? eagles don't usually prey on small prey like goslings. i'd be more concerned about your child if it's an eagle!

 

[Pineconechick]

I’m not totally sure, no. I will have to watch

 

[cmom]

I have seen eagles but I have lost a couple of chicks to hawks. I had a temporary pen outside the garage where my husband was working next to it, a hawk came down and grabbed one of the chicks. It happened so fast. Now when I put them out in the temporary pen I cover it.

 

[danceswithronin]

I have seen eagles but I have lost a couple of chicks to hawks. I had a temporary pen outside the garage where my husband was working next to it, a hawk came down and grabbed one of the chicks. It happened so fast. Now when I put them out in the temporary pen I cover it.

I have a chicken run divided in half where I have expanded it in size - the original half is covered with netting on all sides, and the outer area hasn't been covered yet, only reinforced on the sides so the chicks can't slip through the wrought iron bars. I am SO paranoid about a hawk landing down on the chicks in the yard or about one of them flying over the side of the fence and getting attacked by the dogs, I can't let them out into the larger run without supervision. Even though most of the run is under trees, I still worry because we are covered up with hawks all the time. I've had a hawk catch a dove in my driveway and not be afraid when I walked up to it, so they are pretty brazen.

Hopefully by this coming weekend I'll have the entire run fenced over sides and top together with chicken wire and 4x4x12 posts, so I will be able to let them free range in the entire run at that point. Think I'll still leave the middle fence up for flock integration purposes though.

 

[sourland]

Absolute possibility. Raptors are becoming more and more habituated to interactions with people. I have had hawks hit/take pigeons within feet of me, strike pens right next to me. That's a small (Cooper's) hawk. An eagle might very well have no fear of a small child. When hungry/feeding young animals will do whatever they have to.

 

[Hobbits Mommie]

I've heard of eagles picking up dogs, cats, other birds. I'd keep a watchful eye.

 

[Pineconechick]

Thanks everyone; I will have to really watch out! I can’t imagine how my daughter would feel if something got that goose...especially right in front of her!

 

[Anime2lover]

Id be watchful of it. If it took the bird, that may give her nightmares.

 

[Pineconechick]

Id be watchful of it. If it took the bird, that may give her nightmares.

I think it definitely would! That would be horrible!