WATCH: Bald eagle sighting interrupts interview during Raptor Watch event at Coopers Rock

BRUCETON MILLS, W.Va. (WBOY) — A 12 News reporter was in the middle of an interview with a professional bird trainer when an adult bald eagle was spotted gliding over the main overlook at Coopers Rock.

The voice you hear in the video above belongs to Katie Fallon, Executive Director of the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia and Field Trip Coordinator for Mountaineer Audubon , which hosted a raptor watch event at Coopers Rock Sunday afternoon.

A 12 News reporter was only seconds into an interview with Fallon when one of the birdwatchers attending the event spotted the eagle in the distance.

Bald eagles were added to the endangered species list in 1978 but were eventually taken off in 2007 thanks to nationwide conservation efforts.

“We have a lot of birds here in West Virginia right around where we live, and getting to know the local bird species and getting to know your human neighbors who also like birds, you know, it’s a great reason to get involved with Mountaineer Audobon,” Fallon said, after the eagle flew out of sight.

During the interview, Fallon also said that a study from a few years ago pointed out that many interior forest songbird and grassland bird species are in decline. However, there are ways ordinary people can help these populations, like by adding native plant species to a yard or by adding decals to windows, which helps birds avoid flying into them.

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