A bald eagle carries its prey in its talons as it leaves the backyard of Saline resident Michele Green Thursday.
Courtesy of Michele Green
The large bird hunted down a rabbit at the home of Michele Green of Saline, which is near the Saline Recreation Center at the intersection of Textile and Maple roads.
Green said she first saw the bald eagle sitting in her backyard holding its prey about 11:30 a.m. Thursday. There have been bald eagle sightings in the Saline area recently, Green said.
Bald eagles were removed from the endangered species list in 2007 and are now seen throughout Michigan year-round, said Hannah Schauer, wildlife technician for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
A bald eagle sits in the backyard of a home in Saline Thursday.
Courtesy of Michele Green
It’s a common sight to see bald eagles now in the southern part of the state, Schauer said.
A bald eagle was spotted in February at Belle Isle in Detroit.
Bald eagles need open water in order to hunt for fish, one of their food sources, Schauer said.
The DNR does not track bald eagle sitings, Schauer said. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a Michigan chapter that tracks active nest sites.
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.