Depending on where they live, some Bald Eagles eat mainly fish; others subsist mostly on other birds, such as gulls and geese. But mammals, like rabbits, lambs and, yes, even adorable kittens, are typically an uncommon item on the menu. The eagles that own the nest in Hays, a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, are no exception: They’ve mainly been fetching fish, says ASWP Executive Director Jim Bonner. When a mammal does show up for dinner, it’s usually dead on arrival.

The fact is Bald Eagles don’t love the taste of red meat. When presented with a choice between a rabbit (by far the most common mammal in their diet) and a fish, chicks and juveniles will consistently abandon Thumper for sashimi. In fact, baldies seem to dislike mammalian prey so much that they won’t even bother hunting it; carrion is usually their primary source of red meat. In other words, Bald Eagles are a little picky—but mostly they’re just lazy. That’s why they tend to hang around garbage dumps (a great place to take your friends birding).