Many types of fish are eaten, including porcupine fish which are deadly to humans. Birds, such as coots, gulls and shearwaters are also caught. Waterfowl crippled by hunters may be eaten. This may endanger the eagles with lead poisoning. Blue-tongued lizards are preyed on as are mammals as varied as water rats and young wombats.
Carrion is an important food particularly for young, inexperienced hunters.
Thus, when scavenging in lambing paddocks, eagles are sometimes wrongly blamed for taking lambs. Extremely few healthy lambs are attacked. Piracy by eagles is common. Typically they may pursue gannets until a fish is regurgitated. Sea eagles will often scavenge around fishing boats in rivers or near the coast.