All: Though I, too, once denigrated the Bald Eagle as a predator, I have since seen numerous occurrences of them taking on large prey with equanimity. They are considerably larger and more powerful than are Golden Eagles, and are perfectly able to run down Snow Geese and other waterfowl in the air (yup, they're that fast!) and would have, in my opinion, no problem taking out little bitty Sandhill Cranes. And, of course, they're very patient, waiting for something injured or trapped in the ice to die, rather than risking injury for even a large meal. One of the reasons that Bald Eagles are successful as a species is their ability to adapt to novel food resources and to tackle a huge range of prey species.
Yes, Bald Eagles will take the easy way out almost every time, but I would think that that's the perfect trait for assignment as the U.S. national symbol. It's like driving to the mailbox or the end of the driveway to wait for the school bus. Enjoy, Tony Leukering Villas, NJ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
