Hi all, Bald Eagles are not any larger or more powerful than Golden Eagle are. There are several records of Golden Eagles attacking and killing full grown White-tailed Deer and other large animals. (Bent Life Histories of North American Birds of Prey page 304). There are instances where Bald Eagles having killed deer and other large animals as well (Bent, page 327)
Having checked several Bald and Golden Eagle nests in Wisconsin (Bald Eagles 1997-98) and Golden Eagles in Colorado. The Bald Eagle nests had several turtles and a few ducks in them. One nest had a Great Blue Heron in it. But the heron appeared to have been hit by a car and taken up to the nest after it was already dead. In Golden Eagle nests myself and other researchers have found, Jack Rabbits, pronghorn fawns, marmots, and foxes. I seem to remember a Golden Eagle that killed a Peregrine Falcon up HWY 14 west of Fort Collins and a Golden Eagle that was seen by the Cub Lake in RMNP that was feeding on a Northern Goshawk. On the other hand I seem to remember Bald Eagle feeding on starlings somewhere in eastern Colorado, which shows their agility and speed. There are several videos on the internet of Golden Eagles attacking very large animals, deer etc. >From what I understand, Bald Eagles, especially juveniles, scavenge because >their parents are not very good teachers, and the juveniles birds are on their >own soon after fledging. Where juvenile Golden Eagles, often stay with their >parents until the second nesting season. Giving the goldens the fall and >winter with their parents to help them figure out how to become effective >hunters. On a few side notes... A few Months ago, I watched a Golden Eagle land on the road,in Estes Park, and appear to "look both ways" then pick up a road killed Wyoming Ground Squirrel and fly off. Also, I remember talking to Sigrid Ueblacker (Birds of Prey Foundation) and she would always say that Bald Eagles have a sense of humor and love to play. The bottom line here is that Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles are about the same size (females being larger than males, and northern birds being larger than southern birds). There is a lot of overlap and to be honest I don't believe anyone knows for sure which species is larger or more powerful and who really cares anyway, they are both magnificent birds of prey. Scott Rashid Estes Park ----- Original Message ----- From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 7:28 AM Subject: [cobirds] Bald Eagles and large prey 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. -- 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.
