What do Eagles Eat

Eagles are large birds which belong to the family Accipitridae, and to several genera that are not closely related to each other. There are about 60 species of eagles which are seen in Eurasia and Africa, and outside these areas, only two species are seen. These two species are named the Bald eagle and the Golden eagle, which are a common sight in the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. Eagles are preying birds which hunt for their food by keeping an eye on them from the sky and then aiming their glide down for a catch. If you want to know more on what do eagles eat, as they have a wide range of diet options, take a look further into the following paragraphs and find out.

An Eagle's Diet

There is not much of a difference among the diets of both the most commonly found eagle species in the US, the bald and the golden eagle. Before we get into the details about what do eagles eat, let's read a little more about their physical features.

Description

• Eagles are different from the other birds in many ways, like their physical appearance and their habits. They are larger in size, prey eating, more powerful with heavy heads and hooked beaks.
• Their powerful hooked beaks are created so they can tear flesh from their prey and have strong muscular legs to hold the prey while eating.
• The eyesight of an eagle is also one of its best asset, as their extremely large pupils ensure minimal diffraction (scattering) of the incoming light so they can see the prey easily. If you want to know what do hawks eat, take a look.
• They have very large spreading wings, which are broad and relatively longer than other birds. They are more direct and have extra strength to provide faster flight to these carnivorous birds.

What do Bald Eagles Eat?

• The first of the most common eagle species in our country is the bald eagle. Bald eagles are hunters which sit right at the top of their food chains.
• They have excellent vision, both to the front and to the sides, and all the required strength to tear off their food. The large talons on their feet help them to catch their food and hold it still, till their beaks tear it off.
• Bald eagles eat fish, waterfowl, turtles and muskrats. They are capable of carrying about 4 pounds in their talons and hence they don't mind hunting for bigger preys. Also read about bald eagle facts.
• They can also eat dead animals and decaying carcass of dead prey hunted by some other animal on the land. Larger animals like seals or deer can also be their favorites if they are in a group.

What do Golden Eagles Eat?

• Golden eagles which are also one of the most commonly found species, have the same features as the bald eagles.
• They too have great vision, sharp talons and a hooked beak, which gives them the liberty to hunt for their prey. These factors play a very important role in hunting and thus have to be understood well, before reading about what do eagles eat.
• A golden eagle would prefer to eat hares and rabbits as their basic food. Ground squirrels, prairie dogs and marmots are their second favorites if they can't find rabbits.
• Other choices of food can be mice, martens, foxes, young deer and mountain goats which go for quite some time. They can feed their young ones too with such a big catch.
• Golden eagles generally feed on other birds too, which are either tiny or those which can't fly very fast, like the phasianids, ptarmigans and grouse.
• During the winter months, there is a scarcity of food and hence, they hunt down bigger preys which last for a longer time, like the caribou and goat-antelopes.

This information about what do eagles eat will also be helpful for you if you have a pet eagle. Since eagles are not very rare but are lesser in number than their cousins like the kites and hawks. They are beautiful and majestic birds which also need to be preserved.