Bald Eagle: A Super Predator Whose Diet Includes 400 Species of Animals! (16 photos)

Predators like the bald eagle are called opportunists. They easily adapt to local conditions and change their diet, unerringly finding everything they need in the environment.





People are not included in my diet, but I am working on it!

But our hero was not satisfied with this, he became an apex predator. The bald eagle is at the top of the food chain, not even the huge snowy owls from Alaska or the poisonous snakes of Mexico can stop it!



The bald eagle would have conquered Europe, too, but it can't. After all, its brother, the white-tailed eagle, rules there. The species arose from a common ancestor only 300 thousand years ago, and the animals are still very close in diet and behavior.

And you try saying something to this monster weighing 6 kilos and with a wingspan of 2.3 meters! Eagles are prepared for any fight and are well armed. Their hard, dense plumage is weightless armor that protects against the bites of poisonous reptiles and small mammals. On the feet are strong toes with long, as sharp as a human finger phalanx, claws. And a predatory curved massive beak is capable of putting an end to any dispute. And in someone's life.





What a beautiful umbrella the girl has!

But the eagle's main weapon is its intellect. The bird knows very well that it is quite possible to take carrion from a couple of coyotes. But a bear or a pack of wolves should be wished bon appetit, and then go off in search of more lively prey. And the choice on the menu is wide!



Note: the eagle is wary of wolf packs. But it will give a thrashing to loners without hesitation.

The easiest thing for a predator to catch is fish: 56% of the eagle's diet consists of it. The hooked claws hold the prey perfectly and do not allow it to escape while the bird gets to the shore. For lunch, it eats both small fish of 20-30 centimeters and a solid catch weighing 12-18 kilos! Moreover, the birds cannot lift fish of this size into the air - they get to the shore with it by swimming!



Phew, I barely made it!

Fish plays such an important role in the lives of eagles that they always settle in close proximity to water. The presence of a sea, river, swamp or at least a small lake is the only mandatory condition for the life of birds. If there is a body of water nearby, they will feel comfortable in the arid regions of Mexico, and in the Canadian taiga, and even in the tundra.



Water-air drift.

Even though eagles settle near water bodies, they do not always manage to find fish. In this case, they switch to other inhabitants. Most often, wading birds get nuts: mallards, grebes, ducks. Hunting them is not easy, but our hero has a working tactic. He chooses a victim and begins to imitate attacks. The frightened prey hides under the water over and over again, gradually expending its strength. The animal also cannot get out on the shore or fly away, because in this case it loses its only protection. Sooner or later, the victim gets so exhausted that it can no longer hide. By the way, this strategy also works on more serious creatures like otters, sea otters and swans.



— Sorry, Mister Eagle, but I can fly myself! — But you don’t know the way to my nest!

Not them either? No problem, there are plenty of birds in the sky! Even petrels and seagulls can’t always escape from the eagle, because its cruising speed in a straight line is 70 km/h. And in a dive, it accelerates to 160 km/h! Moreover, our hero can track down prey for hours. He skillfully uses ascending air currents and hovers, almost without wasting energy.



But I wanted to ask you nicely, why were you laughing at me!



You and the coming work week are behind us.

The eagle does not disdain piracy. It does not feel guilty when it takes prey from smaller birds of prey. Ospreys, hawks, vultures and owls tremble with fear when the eagle approaches. After all, if the heavenly ruler is especially hungry, he will not deprive you of food, but will simply eat you both.



Birds are not shy about stealing from each other either.

They even dig up land animals! Fast hares, agile foxes and solitary coyotes are difficult prey, so eagles hunt in pairs. While one bird distracts the mammal, the other delivers a fatal blow. And this is not a complete list of victims. Birds eat cats and dogs, crabs and sea urchins, opossums and baby deer. They even kill sheep sometimes, although they do not like to approach human territories. But why do birds need so many food sources at once?



Wow, fox, thanks for the appetizer. Would you like to be the main course by any chance?

Because the bald eagle is a black hole covered in feathers. An adult bird weighing 4-6 kilos needs about 500 grams of food in fish equivalent per day. If it were the size of a human, it would need 5-10 kilos of meat per day!



The eagles do not eat each other. But they actively fight for territory and prey.

Getting such a quantity of food is not easy. And for a married couple with a child under their wing, the need for food increases even more! It takes an insane amount of effort to build a temporary home, because their buildings are monumental. A pair of eagles builds a nest up to 3 meters in diameter, up to 6 meters high and weighing a ton! Their nests are the largest in the world of birds! Fortunately, you don’t need to do architecture every year. A well-built nest will last at least 3 years. And with annual preventive maintenance, it can be used for up to 36 years!



When your mom wakes you up and makes sure you get ready for school and don’t go back to bed.



Not every person has so much personal space!

From the beginning of March, the male has to get food for two, because the female goes into brooding mode. And from May, both parents have to get food. 2-4 eternally hungry chicks eat no less than their parents. In other words, one nest requires up to 3 kilos of meat per day! It is not surprising that the birds are ready to vacuum the area from any living creatures.



Holy crap! How am I going to feed you all?

And it will take a long time to raise the young. After hatching, the chicks will need 2 months to fledge, and another 2 months to learn to get food on their own. Feeding them all is extremely difficult, but it is not necessary. Only in 20% of cases do at least 2 chicks leave the nest. Usually, only 1 child reaches adulthood. The babies compete so fiercely for the attention of their parents that some of them inevitably die in the process. Well, what did you expect? To raise such a versatile predator, severe trials are needed!



Orlan does sit-ups in mid-air. What a great guy!