Video of a bald eagle, the national bird of the United States, swimming has gone viral on social media. While it is known for its smooth flight and hunting skills, this a rarely known feature of the bird that has surfaced online. Twitterati said they were stunned to know that the bird could swim. The clip which is being shared widely on the internet shows a bald eagle breastroking on a waterbody like a swimming professional in a pool. The rare footage was captured by construction worker Tyler Blake last Monday. Rare Albino Magpie Spotted Living In Tasmania's Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary (Watch Video)

The video was published by New Hampshire TV station WMUR. The Continental Congress declared the bald eagle as the national bird on June 20, 1782. The bald eagle's name has originated from the old English word 'balde' which means white. The video shows the bald eagle's white head rhythmically swimming through water sticking its head out with every stroke.

Watch the video here:

Tyler told WMUR, "I ran down to the docks and I saw an eagle flapping in the water. I am, like, 'Wow!' I wasn't sure if it was hurt or something. Throughout the years I've seen them swim a lot of times and usually it’s because they fly out and attempt to catch a fish in the water and maybe get waterlogged." It reaches the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee after covering a long distance. After reaching, the bird shakes off the water from its weathers as if posing for the cameras.

According to wildlife experts, swimming is a usual activity for birds and they are great at catching fish from rivers and lakes. While social media users were surprised to see the bald eagle swimming, the same species have been spotted taking dips in waters.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 18, 2019 05:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).