SAN DIEGO —
The most famous eagle in the country is calling it quits to enjoy his golden years out of the spotlight.
You've probably seen Challenger if you've ever seen an eagle flyover at a sporting event.
He's 30 years old now, which is equivalent to a 60-year-old human, but his handlers say he won't be out of the spotlight completely.
"He's the first bald eagle in U.S. history trained to fly in a stadium during the national anthem,” said Connor O’Brien from the American Eagle Foundation.
90% of the time you have seen a bald eagle on TV during an NFL or MLB game, that was Challenger.
It’s not practical for him to fly in stadiums anymore, so he's retiring from professional sporting games and is taking on smaller scale roles where he can just chill.
On Sept. 27-29 he will be in San Diego for Twitchcon, a convention for video game streamers.
Challenger was rescued as a young chick when he was blown out of his nest in Louisiana. He became non-releasable and very comfortable with flying over crowds and even meeting 4 U.S. presidents.
"He actually bit Bill Clinton," said O’Brien.
Challenger made a stop at HDOnTap in Del Mar because the company provides live-streaming eagle cams for the American Eagle Foundation, which helps educate millions online.
Challenger won't be flying over football fields anymore, but he will still travel the country, spreading the message of wildlife conservation and protection for as long as he can.