March 17, 2005
Bald Eagle Food
The father eagle has been bringing a multitude of fish and ducks to the nest, which is a very good thing for the family because plentiful food means it's more likely that all three eaglets will survive to fledge.
As for the identity of the food, our ranger at the Refuge said that he thought at least one of the fish was a gizzard shad, which are popular with both ospreys and eagles at the Refuge. Like ospreys, bald eagles target fish near the surface -- the ones that are in reach of their talons.
As for the ducks, it's been harder to tell what species they are, but we think we've seen several mallards, which are common ducks at Blackwater Refuge and would not be hard for the father eagle to find.
There's also the possibility that the father eagle has found some of his food already dead on the ground. Bald eagles are not opposed to eating carrion.
And another possibility is that the father eagle has stolen his food from another bird. Bald eagles have the somewhat dubious reputation of being thieves when it comes to collecting their next meal. They will steal food from other bald eagles, and they will also steal fish from ospreys. To read more about the sometimes battlesome relationship between ospreys and bald eagles, visit this post in our Osprey Cam Web Log from last year.
Just an FYI: Historical accounts tell us that in 1782, founding father Ben Franklin objected to the bald eagle as America's national symbol because the eagle stole food from other birds. Although Franklin characterized the bald eagle as "lazy," others have described it as opportunistic and skillful at saving its energy.