Food Consumption and Energy Requirements of Captive Bald Eagles

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Abstract
Food consumption trials [36] were conducted using 4 captive winter-acclimatized bald eagles (H. leucocephalus) on 3 diets at 3 temperatures. Daily consumption for combined temperatures was highest on the chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) diet (92.0 g/kg), intermediate on the black-tailed jack rabbit (Lepus californicus) diet (74.8 g/kg) and lowest for mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) (65.1 g/kg) which was inversely related to the wet energy contents (0.90, 1.22 and 1.96 kcal/g, respectively) of the diets. Dry matter, fat, protein and ash contents accounted for the disparity in wet energy content. Daily gross energy intake, existence metabolism and excretory energy for all diets combined were 116.9, 94.3 and 22.5 kcal/kg at -10.degree. C, 101.8, 81.8 and 20.0 kcal/kg at 5.degree. C and 89.7, 69.1 and 20.6 kcal/kg at 20.degree. C, respectively. Energy assimilation efficiencies were higher on the duck diet (85.2%) compared to salmon (75.0%) and rabbit (75.4%) and efficiency increased with decreasing temperature on the latter 2 diets. Minimal gross energy requirements of a 4.5-kg eagle for a 90-day winter period at 5.degree. C is predicted to be 13 salmon, 20 rabbits, or 32 ducks.

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