I have never seen a Bald Eagle eat anything other than fish. By my small experience doesn't count for much. Here are some references on subject I found in a cursory read of A.C. Bents Life Histories of North American Birds of Prey (1937. Smithsonian Institution, Bulletin 167):

about Southern nesting birds "...rabbits, mostly marsh rabbits, other undetermined mammals, turtles, coots, Florida ducks, lesser scaup ducks, pied-billed grebes, little blue herons, snowy egrets, terns, killdeers, catfish (by far the most frequent species found and some up to 15 pounds in weight), black bass, sergeantfish, crevalle, pompano and other fish."

This is followed by some fun speculation on eagles carrying off lambs and a recounting of an eagle attacking piglets, which were defended by the sow. He includes much information about eagles preying upon waterfowl as large as Brant.

And this sounds a bit crazy but Bent quotes a Dr. H. C. Oberholser (1906):  "At favorable opportunities this eagle preys upon fawns, and pressed by hunger will sometimes attack a full grown deer, particularly if the latter be wounded."  Who knew?

In his sections on the "Northern Bald Eagle" I found this among the references to birds in their diet:

Bent is quoting I. J. Kammen (1916): "...among the water birds found were puffins, auklets, murres, murrelets, guillemots, ducks, and several species of waders, while among the song bird victims were Alaskan Longspurs, Aleutian Rosy Finches, Western Savannah Sparrows, Shumigan Fox Sparrows, and a sub-species of the Song Sparrow."

He concludes that their diet may be up to seventy percent fish; that their diet is most varied in seasons when fish are limited. There were no more references to shorebirds, but to many other kinds. I'm inferring that the eagles are extremely opportunistic. Fish are more plentiful when running (spring, early summer) and less so in the late summer (shorebird southbound migration). So we might be more likely to see those killer eagle attacks on piping plovers about this time of year. Keep your eyes peeled!

Bent is always fun to read. I hadn't looked at this volume yet. Even got to cut the pages myself.

Cheers,


Ben Fambrough, un chef sans cuisine
Cleveland Heights

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