Nonfish Prey of Wintering Bald Eagles in lIlinois

Many Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) winter in Illinois (Fawks 1979), where they feed primarily on fish (e.g., Southern 1966, Fischer 1982, Harper 1983). However, few reports have been published documenting their use of mammalian and avian prey in the midwestern United States (Lingle and Krapu 1986, Stalmaster 1987). This paper describes the almost exclusive use of nonfish prey in an upland population of Bald Eagles, and discusses related management implications.