How can Bald Eagles survive in northern areas after all the lakes have frozen?

As much as eagles enjoy fresh fish, they will also catch mammals, birds, and dine on carrion and garbage. It may be disconcerting to see the emblem of the United States of America eating at a dump or at a carcass on the side of the road, but the ability of eagles to exploit a wide range of food choices is one of the keys to their success. They can also gorge when food is available, ingesting large amounts of food and digesting it over several days; this enables then to survive fasting for many days, even weeks.

Read more about the Bald Eagle in our species guide.