Food Habits of Bald Eagles in North-Central Minnesota

Abstract

From 1967 through 1972 prey remains were collected from six bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nests in north-central Minnesota. Fish, primarily bullheads (Ictalurus spp.), suckers (Catostomus sp., Moxostoma sp.), and northern pike (Esox lucius), composed 90.1 percent, birds 7.9 percent, and mammals 1.3 percent of all prey. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 39(1):140-143 Bald eagle food habits in North America have been studied by Murie (1940) in the Aleutian Islands, Imler and Kalmbach (1955) in Alaska, Wright (1953) in New Brunswick, and Retfalvi (1970) on San Juan Island, Washington. All these investigations were on coastal breeding eagles. Herrick (1924) studied food habits at a nest in Ohio; however, little detailed food habits data are available for interior bald eagles. The authors acknowledge the field assistance of J. E. Mathisen and the laboratory assistance of R. Koeritz. J. E. Warnock provided criticism of the manuscript. The U.S. Forest Service provided lodging for the junior author during his thesis research conducted on the Chippewa National Forest, Minnesota.