Nature’s Buffet: 17 White-Tailed Eagles Gather for Dinner in the Wild

Saksfjed Wilderness has long been known as a great place to spot white-tailed eagles, but the area recently became the scene of an extraordinary and rare event. The carcass of a young fallow deer attracted an astonishing 17 white-tailed eagles all at once.

Seventeen flying doors in one place. You’d think there was a clearance sale at the local hardware store!

The sight of 17 majestic birds of prey gathered in one spot amazed those lucky enough to witness it. But behind the awe also lies an important perspective.

“As impressive as it is to see 17 eagles around a single fallow deer, it’s only a shadow of the nature we once had. Just a few thousand years ago, it wasn’t 30-kilo deer dying in the wild, but giants like 300-kilo wild horses, one-ton aurochs, and multi-ton forest elephants that lived and died in the Danish landscape,” explains Jens Thorving Andersen.

The death of such large animals would have attracted an entire army of scavengers — not just eagles, but also wolves, beetles, butterflies and countless other insects, birds, and smaller mammals. One animal’s death meant the survival of many others.

Today, these large animals have largely disappeared from the landscape, along with the enormous amounts of energy and nutrients they once contributed to the ecosystem after their death. A scene like the one witnessed in Saksfjed Wilderness reminds us not only of what we still have — but also of what we have lost.

At the same time, it’s a powerful image of how little it takes to create truly grand experiences in nature — and how important it is to give nature the space and freedom to evolve on its own terms. When we make room for death, we also make room for life — and for a nature that is far more dynamic and abundant.