Field notes after the viral NPR Bald Eagle swimming video came up in conversation, the day every hawk question changed.
Updated: 2026-05-20.
The short version: yes, hawks can swim, but the answer depends entirely on which hawk and why. Bald Eagles and Ospreys regularly enter water to hunt fish and can swim back to shore using a butterfly-stroke wing motion when they’re carrying prey too heavy to lift. Red-tailed, Cooper’s, and other “land” hawks can swim if they have to, but they don’t choose to - waterlogged plumage makes them slow and vulnerable. They float, but they can’t dive, they can’t stay submerged, and they don’t have webbed feet. The headline word is “can,” not “do.”
The famous Bald Eagle swim
In June 2019, a viral Twitter video showed a Bald Eagle in British Columbia swimming with a clean butterfly-stroke motion, propelling itself across open water using only its wings. NPR covered the story, quoting eagle researcher Jim Watson of Washington’s Department of Fish & Wildlife: “swimming is not an unusual activity” for Bald Eagles. The bird in the video had likely caught a fish too heavy to lift and was swimming the catch to shore.
The video became the most-cited evidence in any popular discussion of whether raptors can swim. It was not a fluke - it was normal raptor problem-solving.
The two raptors built for water
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
The Osprey is the only raptor in North America specialised exclusively for catching live fish, and its adaptations show it. According to the Cornell Lab All About Birds Osprey life history page, the species plunges feet-first into water from heights of up to 30-40 metres, can fully submerge, and grips prey with reversible outer toes (zygodactyl arrangement) and barbed footpads (spicules) that lock onto slippery fish.
A peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine (“Histologic Structure of the Uropygial Gland of the Osprey”) found that Ospreys have an unusually well-developed uropygial (preen) gland producing oils that waterproof the plumage more effectively than in most other raptors. This is the adaptation that lets them dive, surface, and fly off quickly without becoming waterlogged.
Ospreys are the only raptor where “swim” is the wrong word - they plunge, they grip, they lift. If a plunge fails and the bird ends up in the water briefly, it can wing-row to the surface and take off.
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Bald Eagles are opportunistic hunters of fish and scavengers, and they enter water regularly. The wing-row swimming behaviour seen in the NPR video is documented across the species range. Cornell Lab notes that Bald Eagles “occasionally swim to shore” with prey too heavy to lift from the water.
The technique:
- Eagle catches a large fish underwater, talons locked into the prey.
- The combined weight is too much to lift off.
- Rather than release the catch, the eagle uses its wings as oars - a slow butterfly stroke - and swims to shore.
- Once on land, it eats the fish or carries it short distances.
The eagle can typically swim 50-100 metres without becoming exhausted. After swimming, the bird sits on shore with wings spread to dry before flying.
The other raptors: technical answer "yes," practical answer "no"
For Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Goshawks and the wider hawk family - the anatomy doesn’t favour swimming.
The constraints:
- No webbed feet. Hawk feet are built for gripping prey. They can paddle, but inefficiently.
- Less waterproof plumage than waterfowl. Cornell Lab’s reference on feather biology explains that all birds have a uropygial gland producing waterproofing oils, but waterfowl and Ospreys produce far more than terrestrial hawks. A Red-tailed Hawk plumage gets waterlogged faster.
- Dense body, small wing area relative to body weight for water travel. Adapted for soaring flight, not buoyancy.
A Red-tailed Hawk that falls into water can swim in the sense that it can float, kick its legs, and use its wings to propel itself. But:
- It’s slow.
- It’s vulnerable to drowning if it can’t reach shore.
- It will be on the ground for a long time afterward, wings spread, drying.
- It’s at high risk of hypothermia if the water is cold.
The few wildlife rehabilitator reports we’ve seen suggest that most hawks brought to rehab after a water incident are either tangled in fishing line, injured before going in, or simply exhausted from a chase that ended in a pond.
Specific behaviours often confused with "swimming"
- Bathing. Most raptors bathe in shallow water - a few inches deep - by ducking the head and chest and shaking water through the feathers. This is not swimming. It’s a quick wash followed by extensive preening to restore waterproofing.
- Mantling over prey in shallow water. A hawk that catches prey at a pond’s edge will sometimes hold the catch in shallow water while drowning it or before eating. The bird is standing, not swimming.
- A waterlogged escape. A hawk that misjudges a catch over water may belly-flop. The post-flop swim to shore is a survival response, not preferred behaviour.
What to do if you find a hawk in water
A hawk struggling in water needs help fairly quickly. The risk progression:
- First 5-10 minutes: the bird is alert, possibly fighting. It can usually self-rescue.
- 10-30 minutes: the plumage is saturated. The bird tires.
- 30+ minutes: hypothermia begins. The bird may stop struggling, drop deeper in the water, and drown.
If the bird is in a backyard pool, pond, or fountain:
- Approach slowly. Hawks are stressed and may strike defensively.
- Use a long-handled pool skimmer or a thick towel to lift the bird out. Don’t grab with bare hands - the talons are dangerous.
- Place the bird on a dry towel in a covered area (cardboard box with a towel inside works).
- Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In the US, hawks are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act - you cannot legally rehab one yourself.
- Keep pets and children away while the bird is recovering.
- Do not offer food or water - that is a rehab vet decision.
Wildlife rehabilitators usually respond within hours and can transport the bird for treatment.
Which raptors swim the best
A rough ranking:
| Species | Water relationship |
|---|---|
| Osprey | Built for it - plunge-dives, full submersion, can lift off wet |
| Bald Eagle | Will swim to shore with heavy prey - documented routine |
| Sea Eagles (other Haliaeetus species) | Similar to Bald Eagle |
| Snail Kite | Wades in shallow water; doesn’t really swim |
| Red-tailed Hawk | Can swim, won’t choose to |
| Cooper’s Hawk | Same |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | Same |
| Northern Goshawk | Same |
| Owls (most species) | Limited swimming, rare cases of owls being rescued from water |
The split is real: fish-specialist raptors swim adequately, generalist hawks survive water but don’t enjoy it.
For hawks in your area
If you want to identify the hawks in your region (and want to know which ones might end up in your pool), the Sibley East or West guide covers all the species with adult/immature plumages and range maps:
Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America
The pocket reference for hawk identification when you're working out which species you've just rescued.
David Sibley's Eastern guide covers all the common raptors with adult and immature plumages, flight silhouettes, and the subtle accipiter ID cues that catch most beginners out. Particularly useful for separating Cooper's from Sharp-shinned, and the buteo morph variations.
- All Eastern North American raptor species
- Multiple plumages with size and shape silhouettes
- Flight ID cues from below and at distance
- Pocket-sized softcover
Sibley · Eastern
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Linked products are ones we actually use.
Related raptor pages
For other hawk questions in the cluster:
- birds of prey - the species-level overview.
- do hawks attack cats and dogs - the urban wildlife question.
- why do crows attack hawks - mobbing behaviour and finding hawks in your area.
- can eagles kill humans - the honest assessment of eagle danger.
- are owls dangerous - the night raptor equivalent.
The bottom line
Hawks can swim. Ospreys and Bald Eagles are documented routine swimmers, others can manage if forced into water. The viral 2019 NPR Bald Eagle butterfly-stroke video is the most-cited evidence that this is a real, non-emergency behaviour for some species. The “land” hawks float, kick, and reach shore - but they don’t choose water, and they’re vulnerable when wet.
Sources
- NPR: Bald Eagle Caught Elegantly Swimming (2019)
- Cornell Lab All About Birds: Osprey Life History
- Cornell Lab All About Birds: Bald Eagle Life History
- Salibian & Montalti, Histologic Structure of the Uropygial Gland of the Osprey, J. Zoo & Wildlife Medicine 2010
- Cornell Lab Bird Academy: All About Feathers
- Audubon: Owl Found Recovering After Being Pulled from Water
- USFWS: Migratory Bird Treaty Act
