By Gus Saltonstall
It is a sad week for the New York City birding community.
Rover the Bald Eagle, a Central Park celebrity, died on Monday after being struck by a vehicle on the West Side Highway while scavenging for a small animal, according to Manhattan Bird Alert, a popular Manhattan birding social media account.
Rover was named after his R7 identification tag, which was placed on him shortly after his hatching in May of 2018 in Connecticut. He shot to fame in January 2022 when he hunted in Brooklyn and Manhattan, including over the Central Park Reservoir.
He made headlines recently, including on West Side Rag, when he returned to Central Park on January 22 for the first time in two years.
The tributes came pouring in for Rover.
“OMG – what devastating news,” a person on X wrote. “This just breaks my heart. Dear, dear, Rover, your spirit will remain in the hearts of those who love you, whom you graced with your majestic presence.”
Another person reiterated the heartbreaking nature of the news.
“First saw him in February 2022. He took my breath away,” the person wrote on X. “Saw him 3 more times on the Reservoir and again a few weeks ago. He brought me so much joy. My heart is broken.”
Rover, the Bald Eagle, landed on the frozen Reservoir in #CentralPark early this morning to finish his meal of what looked like a gull. The shimmering golden-yellow on the ice is sunlight reflected off skyscraper window glass.#birdcpp #birdphotography #canonphotography pic.twitter.com/rxYBJB6pJ9
— Suresh Easwar (@SEaswarNYC) January 31, 2022
Rover is not the first celebrity bird to be killed by a vehicle on the Upper West Side.
Barry, the Central Park owl who captivated New Yorkers before Flaco, was hit and killed by a Central Park Conservancy maintenance vehicle in August of 2021.
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I was so sad to drive by this incident and even sadder realizing now that it was Rover.
So so sad, many times I’ve seen Rover near the Great Lawn next to the Basketball court eating something in the fur trees and then heading to the reservoir when I am walking my buddy Zac around the great lawn and then to the reservoir.
Why can’t these motorist be more vigilant? They’re so ridiculous. NY Drivers are too hasty to get to their destination (bad karma).
Maybe arrest the driver for leaving the scene of an accident? Lobby the legislature to enact a new law against vehicular birdicide? It doesn’t take much to get the car haters agitated.
I knew someone would blame the driver. We don’t have details not what happened but given that the WSH is busy it is unlikely a driver could just swerve to another lane with out endangering themselves and others. Birds usually fly away bas cars approach them. The driver wasn’t crazy to think rover would do the same.
This one time at band camp, I saw a dead pigeon.
I was devastated.
Is this supposed to be funny?
Yes, and it is.
Saw a bald eagle upstate today over Accord, NY. Majestic.
Iona Island just south of the Bear Mountain Bridge, is a protected nesting site for bald eagles, so one sees a lot of them in that part of the Hudson Valley.
Best viewing is the scenic overlook on Rte 202 just south of the Bear Mtn Bridge, east side of the river.
Rover was the best of what once was and is no more.
A true spirit of strength, beauty and freedom.
We may never see the like of him again in the wilds of New York city.
The eagle has landed.
We will. The population of bald eagles is growing and their range is increasing.
The speed limit on the Westside Highway is much too fast. It should be 25 mph, for the safety of birds and humans alike.
Perhaps 40-45mph; it IS like the seemingly-unregulated Autobahn: reckless driving with insane passing, too-close spacing at high speed, fast weaving, heedless cutting off, and speed “limit” treated as a Serving Suggestion — very dangerous.
We should even consider ripping it out and undo the damage Robert Moses did to NYC
That would be doing more damage to NY.
Its a HIGHWAY. Would you like the maximum speed limit in the country to be 25 MPH?
This is why only bikes should be allowed in Manhattan ban all cars!
Now Flaco the owl is dead. Maybe we should tear down the buildings and ban cars!
Thoughtful, and doable as well. I swear the comments that pass the screen often baffle me.
I can’t stand it. RIP Rover💔
This morning has been rough bc a report (once again) warned that whales’ communication with each other is disturbed by ships.
Now, we all instinctively knew this. But what are we going to do about it, if anything?
Ppl are so excited about artificial intelligence. Why? It seems like the beginning of the end, for all of us. Don’t bother calling me a Luddite bc this sh*t is real.
Not just by ships; underwater drilling, explosions, other “work” that humans do over, in, and under the ocean.
A loss indeed.
Yes, what happened to the driver. It is a violation of federal law to hurt or kill a bald eagle.