The Missouri Department of Conservation received a report of an injured bald eagle at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield in Missouri. After capturing the bird and bringing it to a local zoo for an exam, x-rays found the eagle had a very full stomach. It was not injured or sick, just "too fat to fly."
The eagle was released near the location where it had been found. This is not our national bird's finest hour.
I once rescued a hawk that had flown into my office window and got it to a wildlife rescue. After it was rehabilitated, I was able to release it. I expected a heartwarming release of this majestic bird back into the wild, but they had accidentally fed it that morning, so I got a fat bird flying twenty feet to a tree and sitting there for three hours.
Although it is rare for wild birds to find themselves in this position, other videos like this one exist. This golden eagle was lucky enough to be captured by a gentleman who immediately recognized its condition as fat, not injured, although the capture process is not very dignified.
Previously: Watch: a pair of bald eagles are entangled on a Minnesota street
