Bald Eagles Killing American Coots and Stealing Coot Carcasses from Greater Black-Backed Gulls

Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) feed on a variety of prey, and have been reported killing American Coots (Fulica americana , Grubb and Kennedy 1982) and stealing prey from many species. Erskine (1968) observed Bald Eagles stealing fish from Greater Black-backed Gulls (Larus marinus ), however, they have not been reported stealing American Coots. From a study of Greater Black-backed Gull predation on American Coots (Unpubl. data) and related observations on Bald Eagles foraging, we document immature Bald Eagles killing American Coots and stealing coot carcasses from Greater Black-backed Gulls. The study was conducted at Lake Mattamuskeet, a 16,200-ha lake in east-central North Carolina's Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge.