PoliticsRobert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Bizarre Airport Bird Rescue Sparks Concern: 'Don't Eat It!'
Embattled HHS Secretary RFK Jr. worried social media after he rescued a bird he found at Dulles Airport.
May 4 2026, Published 12:15 p.m. ET
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted a video of a starling rescue at Dulles airport, prompting jokes from followers warning him not to eat it.
The humor stems from several high-profile, bizarre stories involving his interactions with animals and roadkill that came to light during his political campaigns.
Kennedy admitted to picking up a dead bear cub that had been hit by a car, intending to skin it and eat the meat. After running out of time before a flight, he staged a prank in Central Park on a bicycle.
RFK Jr. claims he's eaten animals.
His daughter recounted a story where Kennedy discovered a dead whale on a beach, severed its head with a chainsaw, and strapped it to the roof of the family minivan to take home.
A photo circulated showing him posing with a cooked animal carcass. Critics accused him of eating a dog, though he adamantly denied it and clarified that it was a goat.
He has openly admitted to previously keeping a large freezer dedicated to storing roadkill to feed his trained birds of prey.
Kennedy is an avid, lifelong falconer.
Kennedy is an avid, lifelong falconer. He frequently posts videos interacting with birds, including his well-known pet ravens.
According to a 2026 biography, RFK Jr.: The Fall and Rise by journalist Isabel Vincent, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. once cut the p----- off a road-killed raccoon while his children waited in the car.
While the rescue at Dulles was a genuine attempt to help a trapped bird, his online reputation for eating or collecting dead wildlife continues to spark a wave of satirical reactions whenever he is seen near an animal.
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RFK Jr. was mocked for rescuing the bird.
“Starling rescue at Dulles!” the embattled HHS secretary posted on Instagram on Sunday, May 3, along with a photo of him appearing to come off a plane holding a bird rather tightly.
Alarmed commenters warned him, “Don’t eat it, Robert!”
“Someone’s cat bringing them a dead rat to show their love and appreciation,” quipped another.
Some people thought RFK Jr. might eat the bird after posting the picture.
“For those of you wondering… yes, he ate the bird shortly after this photo was taken,” said another.
“Thought you were going to Osbourne its head off,” joked another, referring to the now infamous moment on January 20, 1982, in Des Moines, Iowa, when the late Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a real bat on stage, believing it was a rubber prop thrown by a fan. The incident resulted in immediate hospitalization for painful rabies shots.
“Put it down, you’re going to give it measles,” warned another in reference to RFK Jr.'s anti-vax stance that has led to measles outbreaks in several states.
