Our hobby farm is in south central Pennsylvania and for several years there has been a couple of Bald Eagles living along the west branch of the Conococheague creek within 3 miles of our humble homestead.
Every now and then we’ll see a bald eagle overhead and wonder, “Do All Eagles Eat Rabbits?”
Yes, all eagles eat rabbits. Eagles are superb hunters of small rodents, mammals, and fish that live in their varied habitats. Rabbits are a prolific source of food for Eagles. An Eagle is a prime rabbit predator.
Read on to learn how fast the North American eagles can fly!
Do All Eagles Eat Rabbits
Yes, all eagles eat rabbits. Bald Eagles eat rabbits and eagles eat bunnies. The 60 species of Eagles are opportunistic carnivores living on all continents except Antarctica. This means they eat a broad variety of meat; they eat whatever meat is most readily available.
What Do Eagles Eat
The opportunistic eagle will eat:
- Rodents such as mice, rats, and squirrels
- Reptiles such as snakes and turtles
- Ruminants such as (small) goats and sheep,
- Mammals such as dogs, cats, and rabbits
- Other birds such as crows and sparrows
- Fish such as freshwater trout and saltwater salmon and cod
- Amphibians such as frogs
- Carrion of large and small animals
The Bald Eagle and the Golden Eagle are the only two eagle species regularly found in North America.
Eagles are diurnal, meaning they are most active during the day; they hunt during the day.
Our beloved rabbits are crepuscular, meaning they are most active during morning twilight or dawn, and then again during evening twilight or dusk.
You can learn more about rabbits’ crepuscular activities and how they use their senses to evade predators in this post: What Senses Do Rabbits Use
Keeping Rabbits Safe From Eagles And Other Predators
As always, one of the primary ways to protect your hobby farm or homestead bunnies is to provide them with proper housing.
Proper housing for your bunnies means an adequate shelter, most often a rabbit hutch, that protects them from the extremes of the weather as well as from pests and predators.
Hutches and cages need to be well built. To protect your bunnies from Eagles, the hutch must have a roof. If there is a section of the hutch without a roof, then it needs to be covered by a strong mesh of metal or heavy plastic.
Additionally, a well built Rabbit Tractor is an option. By definition, the rabbit tractor is built to protect your bunnies from predators while affording your rabbits access to fresh grass and some space to move around.
If a portion of the rabbit tractor does not have a roof or adequate screening, then there is a small risk that an eagle may swoop in and grab a rabbit.
For more on Rabbit Tractors: Rabbit Tractor: Pros and Cons
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Do Eagles Eat Rabbits
Are Eagles Attracted To Rabbit Food?
No, eagles are carnivores and are not interested in grass, rabbit pellets or greens.
Is An Eagle Bigger Than A Rabbit?
Yes, an adult bald eagle is much larger than an adult rabbit. The bald eagle is 28 to 38 inches tall with a wingspan of 5 to 8 feet. Interestingly, the females weigh 10 to 15 pounds, while the males weigh only 6 to 9 pounds. A male bald eagle is not much heavier than the average rabbit.
Bald eagles are larger than golden eagles in average height and wingspan. However, on average they weigh about the same.
Full grown adult bald eagles and golden eagles have feet and talons as large as a big man’s hand.
How Fast Can Eagles Fly? Is An Eagle Faster Than A Rabbit?
Normal soaring speed is about 30 miles per hour. When diving or swooping to hunt prey, they can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour.
The hunting eagle can fly faster than a rabbit can run.
There are many Eagle vs Rabbit videos on the internet – here is one of the more interesting versions. Yes, it is a bit graphic. Nature can be brutal and a bit surprising for the uninitiated.
Wild rabbits are prolific and provide food for many predators.
Final Thoughts on Do All Eagles Eat Rabbits
Yes, all eagles eat rabbits.
Eagles are opportunistic carnivores that are happy to hunt rabbits.
Eagles can fly much faster than rabbits can run.
Eagles are diurnal hunters. Being crepuscular, rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk.
You can keep your hobby farm and homestead rabbits safe from eagles and other prey birds like owls, hawks, and falcons by ensuring they have a sturdy roof over their heads.
And again, All eagles hunt rabbits and all eagles eat rabbits!