Bald eagle saved by NYPD from Hudson River ice is in critical condition, bird rescue says

Sometimes even birds of prey need a little help.

Members of the NYPD’s harbor unit recovered an injured bald eagle from an ice floe on the Hudson River while on patrol Monday, the department said.

Police body-camera footage posted to social media by the NYPD shows the eagle standing alone and calling out on a patch of ice near the George Washington Bridge around 9:30 a.m.

“His claw’s bleeding, too,” one of the service members observes as the crew approaches with an animal-control pole extended toward the bird. “It’s alright, bro. It’s alright.”

The crew inches closer to the eagle and uses a yellow sheet to scoop it up from the ice and onto the boat, the video shows. They cover the bird in a blanket and put it in a crate on board.

“They acted quickly and brought the bird to safety,” the NYPD said in a post on X.

NYPD officials did not describe the animal’s injuries but said it was brought to the Raptor Trust wild bird rehabilitation center in Millington, New Jersey, for treatment.

Christopher Soucy, the trust’s executive director, said Wednesday that the eagle was still in critical condition and not yet stable enough to undergo diagnostic tests, including x-rays and blood work.

He said the center, which admits up to a dozen bald eagles and 6,000 total birds each year, was trying to get the eagle healthy enough for further treatment.

The eagle is banded, allowing center workers to determine it is a 21-year-old male, Soucy added.

Brittany Kriegstein contributed reporting. This story has been updated with additional information.