--- title: "Amazing Footage Shows Drone Getting Attacked by a Furious Eagle" description: "Eagles and drones go together like pie and ice cream — and in a new video, one raptor shows just how awesome its predatory skills really are." date: "2023-10-22" modified: "2023-10-22" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/drone-eagle-footage-utah" categories: - "Drones" - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "birds" - "drones" - "eagle" - "the digest" --- # Amazing Footage Shows Drone Getting Attacked by a Furious Eagle ![Eagles and drones go together like pie and ice cream — and in a new video, one raptor shows just how awesome its predatory skills really are.]() *\Image: @atomic\_adventure\* ## Brilliant Bounty Eagles and drones [go together]() like [pie and ice cream]() — and in a new video, one raptor shows just how awesome its predatory skills really are. Posted on the [r/Drones subreddit](), the drone video shot by Utah photographer Adam Culbertson starts out similarly to most of his other footage on the [@atomic\_adventure Instagram account](), with a drone soaring among ancient rock structures near Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. About a minute into the footage, however, the smoothness of drone flight is suddenly shaken and the edge of an eagle's wing can be seen. Eventually, viewers get a partial look at the bird's head and beak, more of its wings, and its underbelly. Notably, at no point does the forward-facing camera capture the bird's approach, which is an extremely badass example of predator behavior that gave such creatures the name "birds of prey." https://www.reddit.com/r/drones/comments/17bsh2m/some_of_the_footage_i_got_right_before_an_eagle/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 ## Warranty Included In a comment, the photographer seemed to suggest that he looked around for the drone after it was ganked by the eagle, but ultimately wasn't able to find it. "Oh yeah I gave up, the eagle was going over 40mph and was pretty far away by the time I lost connection," [Culbertson wrote](). "I spend \[a lot of\] time in the backcountry and it's likely in one of the most inaccessible areas in the state of Utah." Luckily, he was [apparently able to get a replacement drone]() from DJI, the company that made the eagle-snatched one, because apparently having your equipment jacked by a bird counts as a "flyaway." As [another user helpfully explained](), that's drone industry terminology for "something outside of your control \[that\] causes your drone to fly away never to be seen again." As [multiple Redditors]() [pointed out](), footage of [drones being snatched]() up [by eagles]() has become so common, it's almost as if companies are "paying the birds of prey" to do their "viral marketing" for them. All the same, this video is particularly stunning, and an awesome example of how feeble our tech can be when faced with the power of nature. **More on bird brains:** *[Bird Uses Anti-Bird Spikes to Create Fortified Nest]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()