Threats

There are not really any predators that threaten the bald eagle chicks or eggs as the parents are almost always on the nest and they are quite powerful and large birds.

A healthy adult golden eagle has no natural predators, although grizzly bears and wolverines have been reported to kill nestlings. However, historically and in modern times, humans have posed the greatest threat to the birds' population.

Bald eagles are opportunistic foragers. They eat a wide range of prey including reptiles, birds, mammals, and fish. During brood rearing here in the Chesapeake nearly 90% of prey is fish (including quite a bit of shad and catfish). They also eat quite a few muskrat and turtles. In the winter their diet moves to a greater portion of waterfowl and gulls.