How Much Fish Do Birds Eat

[Dale S]

Spent the weekend at Beaver Mines. Got to watch and listen to the loons. The pair of Osprey were putting on quite a show. And the Bald Eagle is always good to see. With the planed fish stocking cutbacks will these lakes be able to support all these birds. How many fish does a loon eat in 1 day. How about a pair of Osprey feeding young.

[jaystev]

I believe that osprey can eat between a pound to two pounds of fish a day. One study I read says 5 fish a day but it would depend on how big the fish are. Havent read anything about loons though. All I know about loons is that they frequently scoop up weights and such for their gizzards or whatever and that the lead poisoning is really hurting their populations.

[Northwinds]

I have found on my lakes that a osprey will catch 3-5 trout/day if feeding chicks, these were 1lb trout. Also noted are mature birds sitting with a trout in their claws eating on it all day long,so my estimation would be 1lb of trout/day per bird.

Cormorants- will consume up to 1.25lb's of trout per day ,they will bite and kill larger fish but cannot swallow them, leaving them to die at a later date.
Telltale signs of a cormorant killed fish is a vertical slash mid body.

HERONS-will catch 2 or 3 fish per hour 8-12" long-they will spear much larger fish which will die at a later date as well.Easy to tell a Heron kill,look for a single puncture wound near the dorsal fin

Pelicans-will consume 5-8 lbs of fish per day.Fish size varies from small minnows up to 6 lb fish.

Eagles seem to get bigger fish,in fact. often they only hunt where the largest fish are kept.A 3-5 lb trout seems to be their favorite size.They catch and then often disappear for a few days.
I really don't mind the eagles as there presence will keep both osprey and cormorants away. LOL BUT so does a eagle kite and it doesn't eat fish!!!!!

[great white whaler]

Originally Posted by Northwinds

I have found on my lakes that a osprey will catch 3-5 trout/day if feeding chicks, these were 1lb trout. Also noted are mature birds sitting with a trout in their claws eating on it all day long,so my estimation would be 1lb of trout/day per bird.

Cormorants- will consume up to 1.25lb's of trout per day ,they will bite and kill larger fish but cannot swallow them, leaving them to die at a later date.
Telltale signs of a cormorant killed fish is a vertical slash mid body.

HERONS-will catch 2 or 3 fish per hour 8-12" long-they will spear much larger fish which will die at a later date as well.Easy to tell a Heron kill,look for a single puncture wound near the dorsal fin

Pelicans-will consume 5-8 lbs of fish per day.Fish size varies from small minnows up to 6 lb fish.

Eagles seem to get bigger fish,in fact. often they only hunt where the largest fish are kept.A 3-5 lb trout seems to be their favorite size.They catch and then often disappear for a few days.
I really don't mind the eagles as there presence will keep both osprey and cormorants away. LOL BUT so does a eagle kite and it doesn't eat fish!!!!!

I counted 9 cormorant at this one small lake ,,each cormorant can eat up to 10 trout per day,,i noticed yesterday there was only 1 cormorant left and i wasn't catching any fish ,there was 3000 trout stocked in this pond in may month,,its like no fish even briching ,,i thing cororants are doing more damage then the loon

[Speckle55]

I watched a male bring 3 fish in less that a hour just the other day at Muskiki lake .. there were 2 chicks in nest and in this report they say a chick will eat 6 per day .. and they say Ospreys eat twice per day
http://www.hww.ca/en/species/birds/osprey.html

David

[great white whaler]

Originally Posted by Speckle55

I watched a male bring 3 fish in less that a hour just the other day at Muskiki lake .. there were 2 chicks in nest and in this report they say a chick will eat 6 per day .. and they say Ospreys eat twice per day
http://www.hww.ca/en/species/birds/osprey.html

David

hows the fishing at fairfax lake ?

[coppercarbide]

Really interesting thread, I've often wondered that myself.

Besides pelicans and cormorants, what other birds in Alberta are generally recognized as 'overbred fish eaters'?

[chuck0039]

There is an article in this months AO magazine regarding comorants. They seem to be a very destructive bird

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by coppercarbide

Really interesting thread, I've often wondered that myself.

Besides pelicans and cormorants, what other birds in Alberta are generally recognized as 'overbred fish eaters'?

Native birds Id say none. Part of the natural cycle. Pelicans and cormorants, non native.

[Northwinds]

Originally Posted by coppercarbide

Really interesting thread, I've often wondered that myself.

Besides pelicans and cormorants, what other birds in Alberta are generally recognized as 'overbred fish eaters'?

In my lakes, these are the birds in order of predation amounts.
1) Cormorants
2) Pelicans
3) Osprey's
4) Blue Herons
5) Heron Gulls
6)Eagles
7) Loons
8)Night Herons
9)Ravens
10) Egrets 2 years running
11) Great horned owl 1 Time
NW

[fish gunner]

Originally Posted by Northwinds

In my lakes, these are the birds in order of predation amounts.
1) Cormorants
2) Pelicans
3) Osprey's
4) Blue Herons
5) Heron Gulls
6)Eagles
7) Loons
8)Night Herons
9)Ravens
10) Egrets 2 years running
11) Great horned owl 1 Time
NW

You forgot merganzer's and grebes and ..... like three others puffin .