East Texas Quarterly Magazine Summer 2015 | Page 5

white head, neck, and tail and a large yellow bill.
Bald Eagles are opportunistic predators. They feed
primarily on fish, but also eat a variety of waterfowl and
other birds, small mammals, and turtles, when these foods
are readily available. Carrion is also common in the diet,
particularly in younger birds. Bottom-dwelling fish like
catfish and carp tend to occur more frequently in the
diet. It is thought that the downward visual orientation of
bottom-feeding fish makes them more vulnerable to
eagle attacks than surface sight-feeders, which are more
aware of movements from above. Eagles capture fish by
extending their talons a few inches below the water’s
surf