For centuries, the eagle has been a symbol of power, freedom and vision. With their keen eyesight and strong talons, these majestic birds are expert hunters that have fascinated humankind. If you’ve ever seen an eagle in flight or watched one swoop down to grab prey, you likely wondered: when do eagles hunt?
In short, eagles are opportunistic hunters that will hunt throughout the day when hungry. But their hunting patterns change depending on the time of day, season, location and type of prey. Keep reading to learn all about eagle hunting habits.
Eagles Are Opportunistic Hunters
Hunt when hungry, not on schedule
Eagles are opportunistic hunters, meaning they hunt when the need arises rather than on a set schedule. An eagle’s appetite is the driving factor behind its hunting habits. Once an eagle becomes hungry, its incredible eyesight helps it identify potential prey animals nearby.
Eagles have telescopic vision that allows them to spot prey up to 5 miles away! They will swiftly and stealthily swoop down to catch their next meal as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Hunger is an eagle’s primary motivation.
Unlike humans who may eat meals at regular intervals throughout the day, eagles eat only when their bodies tell them they need sustenance. They do not hunt based on the clock. An eagle can go days between feedings, then gorge on prey when it finally makes a fresh kill.
Eagles are predators designed by nature to be fueled by sporadic feasts. They conserve energy between meals rather than hunting consistently day after day.
Hunting peaks at certain times
Though eagles are not strict schedule followers, their hunting habits do tend to peak during certain times of day and seasons of the year when conditions are ideal. Here are some patterns that emerge:
- Early morning and late afternoon are prime hunting times. Prey animals tend to be active and vulnerable during these transition periods at dawn and dusk.
- Winter months tend to see an uptick in hunting behavior as eagles work harder to find food when their typical prey may be scarce.
- Nesting season in spring triggers increased hunting activity to feed growing eaglets.
- Migration seasons often correspond with more frequent hunting to fuel long journeys.
So while eagles do not have true scheduled hunting routines, outside factors do influence when they are most likely to be on the hunt. The opportunistic eagle capitalizes on circumstances that make catching prey easiest.
Hunting Habits Change Throughout the Day
Most active early and late day
Eagles are most active during the early morning hours right after sunrise and in the late afternoon right before sunset. This corresponds with the times when their prey animals are also most active. Eagles rely heavily on their extraordinary vision to hunt, so they take advantage of the low, angled sunlight during these times of day which illuminates the landscape and makes spotting prey easier.
In the middle of the day when the sun is high overhead, glare and shadows make it tougher for eagles to see. They are less active hunting during midday and may roost or rest to conserve energy. However, eagles can opportunistically hunt any time of day if easy prey presents itself.
Use light conditions to their advantage
Eagles are intelligent hunters that adapt their strategies based on light conditions and circumstances. Here are some examples:
- Low morning light – Eagles patrol open habitats like marshes, fields, and tundra which are washed in raking sunrise light that aids their vision.
- Overcast days – Prey animals are less cautious on cloudy days. Eagles hunt more actively on overcast days since prey is more vulnerable.
- Late afternoons – Eagles return to hunt open habitats taking advantage of slanting sunset light.
- Night hunting – Owls are nocturnal hunters, but some eagles like Verreaux’s Eagle hunt at night on occasion, using their exceptional vision and hearing.
- Backlighting – Eagles will sometimes orient themselves so the sun is behind them when diving on prey. The sun backlighting the eagle makes it harder for prey to see the eagle approaching.
Eagles demonstrate intelligence by adapting their hunting strategies based on conditions to maximize their hunting success throughout the day. Their vision and flying capabilities give them great flexibility to hunt diurnal, crepuscular, and occasionally nocturnal prey.
Seasonal Variations in Hunting
Increased activity in breeding season
Eagles are most active hunters during breeding season, which occurs in late winter and early spring. The increased energy demands of courtship displays, egg production, and caring for eaglets drives eagles to hunt more frequently and capture larger prey.
For example, bald eagles in Alaska hunted about 30% more often during breeding season compared to other times of year, according to a 1970 study. Golden eagles also doubled their kill rate in spring in a California study.
Not only do eagles hunt more, they target bigger prey like hares, geese, and young deer to satisfy their increased caloric needs. A mated pair of bald eagles requires around 1.2 pounds of food per day while breeding, over three times more than normal.
Migration impacts food availability
The migration of prey animals also influences eagle hunting patterns throughout the year. In northern climates, many small mammal and bird populations move south for the winter. This forces northern eagles to switch prey or migrate themselves to follow food sources.
For example, golden eagles that breed in Denali National Park in Alaska depend on arctic ground squirrels in summer. But when the squirrels hibernate in winter, the eagles shift to hunting willow ptarmigan instead. Other eagles fly south where prey is more abundant.
Meanwhile, prey migrations in spring present bonanzas of food for eagles that remain through winter. The spring waterfowl migration offers a feast of ducks and geese moving north to nesting grounds. Eagles gorge on the flocks to recover from lean winter months and ready themselves for breeding.
Hunting Habits Vary by Location
Habitat impacts prey availability
Eagles occupy a wide range of habitats across North America, from coastal regions to mountaintops to open deserts. This great diversity in ecosystem directly impacts the types of prey available to eagles in different areas.
Bald eagles and golden eagles that live near the ocean primarily hunt fish, while those in mountainous habitats prey on mammals like hares and marmots. Desert-dwelling eagles may hunt small mammals like rabbits or reptiles like snakes and lizards.
The availability of prey is a key factor shaping eagles’ hunting habits and strategies.
In general, eagles are opportunistic hunters that will prey on whatever is most abundant and easy to catch in their habitat. A 2020 study published in the Journal of Raptor Research found that bald eagles in Alaska altered their diets seasonally based on shifts in salmon runs and waterfowl migrations. Being flexible and adaptable hunters allows eagles to thrive in diverse ecosystems across North America.
Coastal, mountain, desert eagles
Here is a more detailed look at how habitat impacts hunting for three eagle types:
- Coastal eagles: Bald eagles and some golden eagles live along coasts and major waterways where they prey primarily on fish, water birds like ducks and geese, and even seals and carrion washed up on shore.
Fishing strategies include wading in shallow water, snatching fish from the surface, or stealing catches from other birds like ospreys.
- Mountain eagles: Golden eagles frequent mountains, cliffs, and open woodlands stalking small mammal prey like marmots, hares, and ground squirrels. Their hunting strategy relies on scanning open terrain from high perches and then diving down to strike prey on the ground.
- Desert eagles: In hot desert regions, golden eagles hunt small mammals like jackrabbits and reptiles like snakes and lizards. Soaring high above the arid landscape lets them scan for prey activity while minimizing water loss in the dry environment.
Clearly, the hunting habits and favored prey of North American eagles can vary significantly based on the ecosystems they occupy. Their adaptability as hunters lets them thrive across diverse habitats.
Prey Selection and Hunting Strategies
Fish, mammals, birds
Eagles are opportunistic hunters and will prey on a variety of animals depending on their habitat and availability. Fish, mammals, and birds make up the bulk of most eagles’ diets. Bald eagles and sea eagles are particularly adept at catching fish, while golden eagles may focus more on mammals like hares, marmots, and ground squirrels.
All eagles will readily prey on birds from songbirds to waterfowl. Prey size can range from small fish and rodents up to large deer fawns and seabirds like cranes and herons. The diversity of prey species allows eagles to adapt to changes in food availability.
Perch hunting, short pursuits, long chases
Eagles have developed specialized hunting techniques to capture different types of prey. Perch hunting involves the eagle sitting and watching for prey from an elevated perch like a tree branch or rock outcrop. When prey is spotted, the eagle swoops down to grab it.
This technique works well for fish, small mammals, and grounded birds. Short pursuits involve flushing prey by quickly diving at it on the ground or water and overtaking it after a short chase. Long chases see the eagle lock onto flying prey like ducks or geese and pursuing them over longer distances.
The long broad wings of eagles allow them to swiftly overtake prey midair. Some eagles will even snatch prey directly off the ground while flying over at speed. Cooperative hunting between pairs of eagles also occurs with one bird flushing prey into the path of the other.
Conclusion
With excellent vision and razor-sharp talons, eagles are powerful hunters that can take down prey of all sizes. While they hunt opportunistically when hungry, their habits change depending on the time of day, season, habitat and prey.
By understanding eagle hunting patterns, we gain appreciation into the lives of these majestic birds of prey. Next time you see an eagle take flight, consider there’s a good chance it’s off to hunt a meal.
