See how an American Bald Eagle catches a salmon out of the water in full flight.

This is a beautiful close shot of an American Bald Eagle gliding over the water’s surface and elegantly catching a salmon in its talons. Such power and presence.

Talons are important tools for hunting and defense. Eagles kill their prey by penetrating its flesh with their talons. Eagles can open and close their talons at will. If an eagle is dragged into the water by a fish too large for the eagle to lift, it is because the eagle refuses to release it. In some cases this is due to hunger.

The bald eagle is an opportunistic carnivore with the capacity to predate a great variety of prey. Throughout their range, fish often comprise the majority of the eagle's diet. In 20 food habit studies across the species' range, fish comprised 56% of the diet of nesting eagles, birds 28%, mammals 14% and other prey 2%. In Southeast Alaska, fish comprise approximately 66% of the year-around diet of bald eagles and 78% of the prey brought to the nest by the parents.

Eagles living in the Columbia River Estuary in Oregon were found to rely on fish for 90% of their dietary intake. In the Pacific Northwest, spawning trout and salmon provide most of the bald eagles' diet from late summer throughout fall. Southeast Alaskan eagles largely predate pink salmon, coho salmon and, more locally, sockeye salmon, with chinook salmon, due to their large size average adult size) probably being taken only as carrion


Responses to "American Bald Eagle catches a salmon out of the water in full flight (VIDEO)"

  1. Anonymous says:

    reminds me of this bible verse
    Job 9:26
    They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey

  2. Anonymous says:

    Absolutely magnificent and so graceful. Thanks

Write a comment