Food of the white‐tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla in Greenland

Abstract

Six nests of white‐tailed eagles in the southernmost Greenland were watched during the nestling period and food items recorded photographically by remote controlled cameras. The species composition of the food was representative even for the adult eagles' diet. Fish made up a major part of 90%, various bird species and arctic fox pups the remaining 10%. The total intake of an eaglet amounted lo 50 kg from hatching to fledging. The daily requirements of fledglings, some 800 g fish food, are equal to previously reported values for older birds. The rate of food consumption of eaglets is constant through most of the nestling period.