Bald eagles have exceptional eyesight. Nothing shows this better than an eagle soaring overhead, suddenly moving at high speeds to the water to catch a fish.
Eagle Spots and Catches Dinner With Ease
Strength and incredible vision are what make bald eagles such impressive hunters. As photographer Mark Smith points out in an Instagram reel, “It’s amazing to think that these unbelievable moments happen out there every single day but the vast majority of us can’t get out to see them.”
Smith recently reposted a video of a bald eagle splashing into the water from the sky to grab a fish. The eagle is nearly enveloped in the water, except for its wings, which remain above the surface. As the eagle emerges from the water, it holds its prize—a single fish—in its talons.
How Far Away Can an Eagle Spot Fish in the Water?
It has been noted that bald eagles can see their prey from as far as two miles away under optimal conditions. However, the conditions required for this typically do not occur. Therefore, it is improbable that an eagle could spot fish from two miles above a body of water.
Typically, eagles can see the fish they want to target from 1,000 to 1,500 feet above the water. They can do this because a bald eagle’s eyesight is four to five times sharper than human vision.
Eagles also possess depth perception and sharp focus from this distance above the water. This is thanks to two foveae in each eye.
How Fast Eagles Stoop When Catching a Fish
To show just how precise a bald eagle is when it strikes the water to catch a fish, the Instagram video has been slowed down so every detail is visible.
When eagles spot their prey, they descend quickly. This maneuver is called a stoop. The steep dive to the water can occur between 75 and 100 miles per hour. To put this into perspective, bald eagles typically fly through the air between 20 and 40 miles per hour.
Eagles Transfer Fish from Their Talons to Their Beaks Effortlessly
As seen in the video, the bald eagle seamlessly moves the fish from its talons to its beak, making for a meal on the go. Thanks to the strength of both their talons and beaks, this maneuver appears almost effortless.
To ensure the fish does not get away, the eagle will release the fish from its talons one at a time as the fish is guided to its mouth.
Once both talons have released the fish, the beak does the rest of the work. The fish is tossed into the eagle’s mouth with a slight jerk of the head.
