obtain infonnation on the relative 

 importance of golden-eagle preda- 

 tion on waterfowl. Managers of 

 migratory waterfowl refuges were 

 solicited ; files of the United States 

 Fisli and Wildlife Service in Wash- 

 ington, D. C., were reviewed; and 

 sportsmen, game-law-enforcement 

 officers, and waterfowl specialists 

 were consulted. 



The following comments liave 

 been selected from the reports of 

 managers of Federal refuges as 

 being representative of the facts 

 ;ind opinions held on the relative 

 importance of golden-eagle preda- 

 tion: 



BowDoiN Refuge, Mont. — As many as 

 six golden eagles are commonly observed 

 during the fall and winter, especially 

 when the lake freezes over, at which time 

 they prey on the wounded and crippled 

 birds left over from the hunting season 

 and continue to feed on the frozen car- 

 casses well into the winter. (B. M. 

 Hazeltine.) 



Medicine Lake Refuge, Mont. — The 

 fall migrants feed on rabbits, muskrats, 

 and waterfowl. No observations were 

 made on the actual kills of rabbits or 

 waterfowl, but on one occasion, in No- 

 vember, an eagle was seen to take a live 

 muskrat off the edge of the ice. Remains 

 of three muskrats were found on the land- 

 ings of the subheadquarters tower where 

 they had been carried for devouring. 

 (T. C. Horn.) 



Red Rock Lakes Refuge, Mont. — In 

 the fall of the year when they are most 

 common on the refuge, golden eagles have 

 t)een observed feeding on dead or wounded 

 ducks that were not retrieved by hunters. 

 They have also been observed feeding on 

 dead animal carcasses. We have never 

 observed eagles feeding on or attacking 

 liealthy individual ducks or other forms 

 of bird life on tlie refuge. (A. V. Hull.) 



Sacramento Refuge, Calif. — It is be- 

 lieved . . . that they feed to a large ex- 

 tent on weak and crippled birds. Most 



of tiieir food is waterfowl, at least in the 

 fall, based on their actions and the loca- 

 tions frequented. Records in 1938 showed 

 an eagle pursuing a cackling goose on 

 two occasions but in each case it missed 

 its prey. (P. J. Van Huizen.) 



Sand Lake Refuge, S. Dak. — During 

 cold, snowy weather, most of the food of 

 the golden eagle on this refuge consists 

 of wild ducks ; at least this was the case 

 last winter (1939^0). Many of the wild 

 mallards on the refuge last winter suf- 

 fered from lead poisoning and it is pos- 

 sible that some of the ducks eaten Iiy 

 eagles were ill. (R. C. Winslow.) 



Wichita Mountains Refuge, Okla. — 

 Golden eagles have Iteen noticed feeding 

 on tlie carcass of a deer. Hying low over 

 jackrabbits, and chasing ducks in the 

 Rush Lake area. Ranger William E. 

 Drummond observed a golden eagle chase 

 a skunk into a thicket in the spring of 

 19.39 and watched the bird beat around 

 the edges of the brush until it was driven 

 off. (E. J. Greenwalt.) 



In addition to these comments 

 from refuge administrators, the re- 

 sults of a one-season nesting study 

 of tlie golden eagle carried out on 

 tlie Malheur National Wildlife 

 Refuge in Oregon by Frank W. 

 Groves are available. 



During the nesting season of 19-10, 

 Groves made a study of the food 

 utilized by four pairs of golden 

 eagles. For purposes of compari- 

 son these nests are grouped into two 

 categories. Three nests located a 

 mile or more from the duck nesting 

 area will be considered jointly as 

 contrasted with one nest situated 

 ai)proxiniately 100 yards from the 

 water. Only those animal remains 

 found in the nests and identified 

 in the field were considered. Food 

 remains found at the three nests a 

 mile or more from the water area 

 included more than 40 jackrabbits, 

 1 cottontail, and 1 mallard duck. 



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