THE ANIMAL FILES

Bald eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

A white-headed eagle can be a fisher, scavenger and thief.

Bald eagles take varied animal food, with fish important across much of their range. They use thermals and updrafts during travel, and some populations move when open water and food become unavailable. Their imposing image should not obscure ordinary opportunistic feeding.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
Bald eagle
Image: Andy Morffew from Itchen Abbas, Hampshire, UK · Commons · CC BY 2.0
Major food
Fish, with other animals and carrion[1]
Flight support
Thermals and terrain-generated updrafts[1]
Food capture
Talons grip fish at the water surface[1]

Feet meet the water

An eagle swoops over water and grasps fish with its talons. Toe structures called spicules improve grip. Prey weight and conditions affect whether a catch can be carried away, so catching and lifting are not identical feats. An oversized fish should not become evidence that the bird can carry anything it touches.[1]

An opportunistic food supply

Fish dominate many diet studies, but birds, mammals and carrion also contribute. Eagles can steal prey from other predators or feed at carcasses. This is not a deviation from being a predator: scavenging and hunting are alternative ways of obtaining animal food, used according to opportunity.[1]

Open water changes the route

Where fish-bearing water stays open, eagles may remain year-round. Freezing can instead encourage movement south or coastward. Migration routes exploit rising air and food resources. Local residence and migration therefore vary, and a winter sighting is best understood alongside the condition of nearby feeding waters.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Does an eagle only eat animals it kills itself?

No. Carrion and prey stolen from other predators are also documented foods.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Why might one eagle stay through winter while another leaves?

Reveal the explanation

Their feeding waters may differ in freezing and food access; open fish-bearing water can support residence.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Haliaeetus leucocephalus (adapted and translated; exact revision)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Haliaeetus leucocephalus (identity and game lineage)

Last fact check:

One discovery leads to another

Golden eagleGolden at the nape, variable through youth.Aquila chrysaetos ↗Black kiteA forked tail steers above a menu of opportunities.Milvus migrans ↗Andean condorA huge bird can travel on rising air.Vultur gryphus ↗