bird watching – Grizzly Bear Blog (original) (raw)
Bald Eagle in Homer, Alaska
Posted in Alaska animals with tags Alaska, animals, bird watching, birds, eagles, nature, wildlife on December 5, 2010 by grizzlybearblog
Despite their imposing size, talons and beak, bald eagles are far more timid and passive than the gulls and ravens who eat the same foods. You will often spot ravens bullying the shy eagles, and eagles are often chased off a fish carcass by the smaller yet aggressive gulls. Stereotypes about animals based on their physical appearance are quite often false. That being said, all animals are individuals. One afternoon I spotted a bald eagle on a roof munching heartily on a raven.
Bald eagles and grizzly bears live side by side. Eagles feed off the salmon and meat carcasses that bears leave behind. The removal of large mammals from the top of the food chain harms smaller animals lower on the food chain. When grizzly bears are killed by humans, scavengers like eagles, ravens, and foxes are denied vital food sources. Despite decades of scientific research proving that predator species keep the ecosystem thriving, the Alaska government has been exterminating 80% of the bear and wolf population outside of Anchorage. This genocide has devastating consequences on the entire Alaskan ecosystem. The wholesale slaughter of Alaska’s predators was started by Governor Murkowski and then escalated by former Governor Sarah Palin.