Diet
What do bald eagles eat?
Fish, waterfowl and carrion.
Hawks and eagles (Accipitridae)Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus
Spring and summer diet
- Fish, especially near lakes and rivers
Fall and winter diet
- Waterfowl, carrion and fish below dams
Best feeder foods
- None — open water with fish is the draw
Now a regular sight over reservoirs and rivers nationwide after its recovery from DDT.
Where bald eagles need winter food
Regions where bald eagles are present in the cold months:
AlabamaAlaskaAlbertaArizonaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNewfoundland and LabradorNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNorthwest TerritoriesNova ScotiaOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaPrince Edward IslandQuebecRhode IslandSaskatchewanSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingYukon
Frequently asked
What do bald eagles eat?
Fish, waterfowl and carrion.
What is the best food to feed bald eagles?
None — open water with fish is the draw.
What do bald eagles eat in winter?
Waterfowl, carrion and fish below dams.
Sources
- Bald Eagle — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Bald Eagle life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Bald Eagle — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.