--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It takes no skill to find a bald eagle…" description: "\"“It takes no skill to find a bald eagle. You look for flat rabbits on country roads. Wait a while and the national emblem will appear, menace anything ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/brian-kimberling-40734_bald-eagle_it-takes-no-skill-to-find-a-bald-eagle-y_2316872.jpg" --- # It takes no skill to find a bald eagle. You look for flat… ![“It takes no skill to find a bald eagle. You look for flat rabbits on country roads. Wait a while and the national emblem will appear, menace anything that got there first, and plunge his majestic head deep in a mass of entrails. Alternatively, you can follow some industrious hawk through swamp or…” quote by Brian Kimberling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/brian-kimberling-40734_bald-eagle_it-takes-no-skill-to-find-a-bald-eagle-y_2316872.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/brian-kimberling-40734_bald-eagle_it-takes-no-skill-to-find-a-bald-eagle-y_2316872.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/brian-kimberling-40734_bald-eagle_it-takes-no-skill-to-find-a-bald-eagle-y_2316872.jpg) > ““It takes no skill to find a bald eagle. You look for flat rabbits on country roads. Wait a while and the national emblem will appear, menace anything that got there first, and plunge his majestic head deep in a mass of entrails. Alternatively, you can follow some industrious hawk through swamp or bottomland forest until he dispatches a squirrel; an eagle is likely to descend, savage the smaller bird, and steal his prize. The eagle can hunt, of course; he just prefers not to. Benjamin Franklin called him a bird of bad moral character. It takes no skill to find the nest, either. Look for a shipwreck in a tree, layered in feces . . . The likeliest impediment to (the eagles’) reproductive success was a human observer bungling around twice a day, but their welfare was almost incidental anyway. The point was for patriotic human hearts to swell with pride on outdoor weekends, and convincing replicas would have sufficed; the compulsive monitoring was not good husbandry, just an expression of national guilt. I did what I was paid for. Privately I sided with the furred and feathered residents of the area who must have wondered why humans were loosing winged hyenas in their midst . . . They’re glorified vultures. An apex predator that never hunts. Absurd.”” [Brian Kimberling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kimberling/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage satizes the absurdity of over‑monitoring eagles, treating them as symbols of patriotism while neglecting real wildlife needs. **In simple terms:** Eagles are used as a patriotic symbol, but the focus on them is misguided. Key Takeaway Recognize symbolic wildlife and prioritize genuine conservation. Themes patriotism wildlife conservation symbolism absurdity Mood ironic critical reflective Type observational satirical commentary When to use this quote - environmental education - policy making - public outreach - wildlife tourism - media criticism Key Concepts anthropocentrism national identity human‑wildlife conflict Questions to Reflect On - How does symbolism affect real conservation efforts? - What responsibilities do societies have toward wildlife? A Different Perspective The satire may overlook genuine ecological concerns beyond symbolic critique. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bald eagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bald-eagle/) [Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) [Eagle Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eagle-hunt-5523235/) [Eagle Likely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eagle-likely-5523236/) [Eagles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eagles/) [Eagles Reproductive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eagles-reproductive-5523237/) [Good husband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-husband/) [Impediment Eagles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impediment-eagles-5523234/) [Moral character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-character/) ## Related quotes > [I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country; he is a bird of bad moral character; like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-wish-the-bald-eagle-had-not-been-chosen-as-the-representative-of/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [For my own part, I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/for-my-own-part-i-wish-the-bald-eagle-had-not-been-chosen-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The Democrats talked about putting people first. Well, they put people first unless you happen to be a spotted owl or a giant garter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/the-democrats-talked-about-putting-people-first-well-they-put-people/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [It is never too late to go quietly to our lakes, rivers, oceans, even our small streams, and say to the sea gulls, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-peterson/it-is-never-too-late-to-go-quietly-to-our-lakes-rivers-oceans-even/) [Brenda Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-peterson/) > [It's a great event to get outside and enjoy nature. I find it very exciting no matter how many times I see bald eagles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/it-s-a-great-event-to-get-outside-and-enjoy-nature-i-find-it-very/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [“The Everglades was the only place on earth where alligators (broad snout, fresh water, darker skin) and crocodiles (pointy snout, salt water, toothy grin)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-grunwald/the-everglades-was-the-only-place-on-earth-where-alligators-broad/) [Michael Grunwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-grunwald/) > [I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-am-on-this-account-not-displeased-that-the-figure-is-not-known-as-a/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Travel back in time, Laugh till you cry, Dig for buried treasure, Experience the thrill of rock-climbing, Outsmart the crouds, Take in a panoramic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/travel-back-in-time-laugh-till-you-cry-dig-for-buried-treasure/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He had a point. The planet was being destroyed by manufacturing processes, and what was being manufactured was lousy, by and large. Then Trout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/he-had-a-point-the-planet-was-being-destroyed-by-manufacturing/) [kurt vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I'm hip to their game, hip to the science of war Propoganda makes me fight but what am I fightin for? My way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-williams/i-m-hip-to-their-game-hip-to-the-science-of-war-propoganda-makes-me/) [Saul Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-williams/) > [“That yes you commit to as reader and writer is the current that hums through all the work. Of course, you might say yes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/that-yes-you-commit-to-as-reader-and-writer-is-the-current-that-hums/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [“Nothing in this world feels quite like freedom, except for freedom. And nothing in the world tastes quite like freedom, except for fried bald…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/nothing-in-this-world-feels-quite-like-freedom-except-for-freedom-and/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Golden eagles don't mate with bald eagles, deer don't mate with antelope, gray wolves don't mate with red wolves. Just look at domesticated animals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-means/golden-eagles-don-t-mate-with-bald-eagles-deer-don-t-mate-with/) [Russell Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-means/) > [I'm gonna say it one more time. We are Georgia Southern. Our colors are blue and white. We call ourselves the Bald Eagles. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erk-russell/i-m-gonna-say-it-one-more-time-we-are-georgia-southern-our-colors-are/) [Erk Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erk-russell/) > [“Her. Her. Her. Future breezes implore me to stay. But I'm no future. I'm no past. Only ever contemporary of this path. I'll sacrifice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-z-danielewski/her-her-her-future-breezes-implore-me-to-stay-but-i-m-no-future-i-m/) [Mark Z. Danielewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-z-danielewski/) ## More by Brian Kimberling > [“Somewhere in that ancient brain it knows that you are an idiot with a stick, to be endured, and that tomorrow there will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kimberling/somewhere-in-that-ancient-brain-it-knows-that-you-are-an-idiot-with-a/) [Brian Kimberling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kimberling/) > [“A proper Indiana twister looks something like God got fed up with his spinach. God in this instance is about six years old .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kimberling/a-proper-indiana-twister-looks-something-like-god-got-fed-up-with-his/) [Brian kimberling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kimberling/) > [“Dismemberment, even posthumous, is obscene.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kimberling/dismemberment-even-posthumous-is-obscene/) [Brian Kimberling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kimberling/) > [“It was only when I returned that I viewed Indiana through such a jaundiced eye. While there I tried desperately to gather the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kimberling/it-was-only-when-i-returned-that-i-viewed-indiana-through-such-a/) [Brian Kimberling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kimberling/) > [“Well, that's one afternoon shot to hell,' I said. 'No,' said Shane. 'Other people are watching TV.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kimberling/well-that-s-one-afternoon-shot-to-hell-i-said-no-said-shane-other/) [Brian Kimberling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kimberling/) > [“A list of birds seen on a given day is also a form of prayer, a thanksgiving for being alive at a certain time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kimberling/a-list-of-birds-seen-on-a-given-day-is-also-a-form-of-prayer-a/) [Brian Kimberling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kimberling/) > [“She was not always honest, but she was never rude. "I've only been in his house once. He has a sofa and two bird…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kimberling/she-was-not-always-honest-but-she-was-never-rude-i-ve-only-been-in/) [Brian Kimberling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kimberling/) > [“She said not to worry-- that she had done so many things she regretted and perhaps we should both agree that we had sprung…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kimberling/she-said-not-to-worry-that-she-had-done-so-many-things-she-regretted/) [Brian Kimberling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kimberling/) > [“From remote and sparsely populated Vermont, Indiana seemed hopeless; a collection of turtle-shooting subliterates--people opposed to evolution, pluralism, and poetry. And yet. Those leaves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kimberling/from-remote-and-sparsely-populated-vermont-indiana-seemed-hopeless-a/) [Brian Kimberling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kimberling/) [Explore all 10 Brian Kimberling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kimberling/) ## More Bald eagle quotes > [“Her. Her. Her. Future breezes implore me to stay. But I'm no future. I'm no past. Only ever contemporary of this path. I'll sacrifice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-z-danielewski/her-her-her-future-breezes-implore-me-to-stay-but-i-m-no-future-i-m/) [Mark Z. Danielewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-z-danielewski/) > [I'm gonna say it one more time. We are Georgia Southern. Our colors are blue and white. We call ourselves the Bald Eagles. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erk-russell/i-m-gonna-say-it-one-more-time-we-are-georgia-southern-our-colors-are/) [Erk Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erk-russell/) > [For my own part, I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/for-my-own-part-i-wish-the-bald-eagle-had-not-been-chosen-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Golden eagles don't mate with bald eagles, deer don't mate with antelope, gray wolves don't mate with red wolves. Just look at domesticated animals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-means/golden-eagles-don-t-mate-with-bald-eagles-deer-don-t-mate-with/) [Russell Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-means/) > [“Nothing in this world feels quite like freedom, except for freedom. And nothing in the world tastes quite like freedom, except for fried bald…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/nothing-in-this-world-feels-quite-like-freedom-except-for-freedom-and/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“That yes you commit to as reader and writer is the current that hums through all the work. Of course, you might say yes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/that-yes-you-commit-to-as-reader-and-writer-is-the-current-that-hums/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [“I'm hip to their game, hip to the science of war Propoganda makes me fight but what am I fightin for? My way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-williams/i-m-hip-to-their-game-hip-to-the-science-of-war-propoganda-makes-me/) [Saul Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-williams/) > [“He had a point. The planet was being destroyed by manufacturing processes, and what was being manufactured was lousy, by and large. Then Trout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/he-had-a-point-the-planet-was-being-destroyed-by-manufacturing/) [kurt vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Travel back in time, Laugh till you cry, Dig for buried treasure, Experience the thrill of rock-climbing, Outsmart the crouds, Take in a panoramic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/travel-back-in-time-laugh-till-you-cry-dig-for-buried-treasure/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-am-on-this-account-not-displeased-that-the-figure-is-not-known-as-a/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“The Everglades was the only place on earth where alligators (broad snout, fresh water, darker skin) and crocodiles (pointy snout, salt water, toothy grin)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-grunwald/the-everglades-was-the-only-place-on-earth-where-alligators-broad/) [Michael Grunwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-grunwald/) > [It's a great event to get outside and enjoy nature. I find it very exciting no matter how many times I see bald eagles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/it-s-a-great-event-to-get-outside-and-enjoy-nature-i-find-it-very/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [It is never too late to go quietly to our lakes, rivers, oceans, even our small streams, and say to the sea gulls, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-peterson/it-is-never-too-late-to-go-quietly-to-our-lakes-rivers-oceans-even/) [Brenda Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-peterson/) > [The Democrats talked about putting people first. Well, they put people first unless you happen to be a spotted owl or a giant garter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/the-democrats-talked-about-putting-people-first-well-they-put-people/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [“I breathe in the soft, saturated exhalations of cedar trees and salmonberry bushes, fireweed and wood fern, marsh hawks and meadow voles, marten and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-nelson/i-breathe-in-the-soft-saturated-exhalations-of-cedar-trees-and/) [Richard Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-nelson/) [Browse all 25 Bald eagle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bald-eagle/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It takes no skill to find a bald eagle. You look for flat rabbits on country roads. Wait a while and the national emblem will appear, menace anything that got there first, and plunge his majestic head deep in a mass of entrails. Alternatively, you can follow some industrious hawk through swamp or bottomland forest until he dispatches a squirrel; an eagle is likely to descend, savage the smaller bird, and steal his prize. The eagle can hunt, of course; he just prefers not to. Benjamin Franklin called him a bird of bad moral character. It takes no skill to find the nest, either. Look for a shipwreck in a tree, layered in feces . . . The likeliest impediment to (the eagles’) reproductive success was a human observer bungling around twice a day, but their welfare was almost incidental anyway. The point was for patriotic human hearts to swell with pride on outdoor weekends, and convincing replicas would have sufficed; the compulsive monitoring was not good husbandry, just an expression of national guilt. I did what I was paid for. Privately I sided with the furred and feathered residents of the area who must have wondered why humans were loosing winged hyenas in their midst . . . They’re glorified vultures. An apex predator that never hunts. Absurd.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brian Kimberling" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kimberling/it-takes-no-skill-to-find-a-bald-eagle-you-look-for-flat-rabbits-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bald eagle" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kimberling/it-takes-no-skill-to-find-a-bald-eagle-you-look-for-flat-rabbits-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/brian-kimberling-40734_bald-eagle_it-takes-no-skill-to-find-a-bald-eagle-y_2316872.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/brian-kimberling-40734_bald-eagle_it-takes-no-skill-to-find-a-bald-eagle-y_2316872.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/brian-kimberling-40734_bald-eagle_it-takes-no-skill-to-find-a-bald-eagle-y_2316872.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It takes no skill to find a bald eagle. You look for flat rabbits on country roads. Wait a while and the…” — Brian Kimberling", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Brian Kimberling", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kimberling/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It takes no skill to find...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kimberling/it-takes-no-skill-to-find-a-bald-eagle-you-look-for-flat-rabbits-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kimberling/it-takes-no-skill-to-find-a-bald-eagle-you-look-for-flat-rabbits-on/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```