Eagles

The bald eagles are magnificent animals to watch as they fish for their next meal in Homer, Alaska.

As bald eagles spot a fish swimming or floating near the surface of the water, it soars down with its wings spread and approaches its prey in a shallow glide. Bald eagles snatch the fish out of the water with a quick swipe of its long talons.

Eagles can open and close their talons as they please and if a fish is too big and the eagle is dragged into the water it is because the eagle refuses to release the fish. Bald eagles have a lifting power of approximately four pounds and do not usually feed on animals unless absolutely necessary.

Eagles are extremely fast fliers and if when diving they find the lift is less important than the effort needed to drag, they will pull in its wings to minimize their surface area. Bald eagles fish in both salt water and fresh water and are on the top of the food chain. They are enormous birds so they do not have many enemies and need a large hunting area.

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Many bald eagles are found in Homer, Alaska and it is the perfect place to watch bald eagles fish and soar above the mountains.

Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Alaska, Homer, USA