Looking Up For Opportunity
While Bald Eagles of Alaska predominantly dine on fish, they don't always catch their salmon dinner from the water. Competition can be steep in areas rich in fish and fishing industry where scavenging and theft is just as good of a strategy as any other. Bald eagles often chase other raptors, especially Osprey, until they drop their kills. When the other bird drops its prey, the eagle immediately stops chasing and grabs the food.
Other birds that eagles compete for food with include gulls, ravens, and hawks -- and if sufficient numbers of competing birds exist, such as gulls, they will often turn the tables on the individual eagle and harass until the eagle abandons his catch. Bald eagles, such as this one pictured, often keep an eye to the skies looking for crowds of crows, gulls, or vultures and then decide if they have sufficient odds to then swoop in and steal the carrion.