The story of an eagle family and hawk that many hoped would be an inspiring tale of interspecies bonding has taken a tragic turn.

Tuffy, a female red-tailed hawk sharing a nest with an eagle family in Californias Santa Clara County, is dead.

In late May, bird photographer Doug Gillard captured an image of a mother bald eagle carrying a small hawklet in her talons presumably to feed to her offspring.

About a week later. Gillard shared an optimistic update on Facebook . Rather than becoming lunch, the bird-napped chick seemed to have become a tentative member of the family, with the mother feeding her new hawk charge.