Bald eagles have many attributes. They can fly as high as 10,000 feet, they have incredible eyesight and they even make good swimmers.
But they don’t like to share.
In this amazing action shot taken by wildlife photographer Rob Palmer, two American Bald Eagles battle over a piece of dead carp, with one clawing the other in the eye with its sharp talons.
Rob Palmer captured the shot of two American bald eagles fight it out for a piece of dead carp in Salt lake City.
The eagles don't like to share and sometimes you will get the birds fighting over one big fish even though there are others close by
Every winter, flocks of bald eagles gather along the Great Salt Lake, where there is plenty of carp to eat in freshwater bays.
It’s not unusual for the eagles to fight over their food. Sometimes they will even go to war over one big fish even though there are others close by.
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The sky tussle was snapped in Farmington Bay, near Salt Lake City, Utah, which is a magnet for eagles in the US.
Every winter, flocks of bald eagles gather along the Great Salt Lake, where there’s plenty of carp to eat in freshwater bays.
The birds of prey seek out patches of open water to pluck out carp with their talons.
The eagles took to the sky as continued to battle it out over the dead fish
About 50 American bald eagles are marking time at Farmington Bay this season, a low amount compared to the high of 458
The numbers of wintering eagles in Canada and North America fluctuate from winter to winter, but no one has a clear idea why
‘The eagle concentration is associated with the huge carp population out there,’ said Phil Douglass, an outreach manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. ‘It’s a perpetual thing. There’s always lots of carp.’
About 50 bald eagles are marking time at Farmington Bay this winter. Other seasons have seen as many as 458.
Nobody knows why the numbers of wintering eagles from Canada, Alaska and northern US states fluctuate from winter to winter.
One bare tree along a Farmington Bay dike is famous for holding 25 or more eagles at a time, when the birds aren’t soaring or hunting.
Bald eagles are at the top of the food chain and can reach 30-35 mph when they have a level flight
Bald eagles have a wingspan reaching 90 inches and can be vicious when fighting over food
One famous tree in Farmington Bay can have up to 25 or more bald eagles on it when they aren't hunting
The female bald eagle is 35 to 37 inches, slightly larger than the male. Both have a wingspan ranging from 72 to 90 inches.
During level flight, they can achieve speeds of about 30 to 35 mph.
They sit at the top of the food chain and eat mainly fish, although they will hunt some small land animals. Once paired, bald eagles remain together until one dies.