Kodiak bears, a unique subspecies of brown bear, are among Earth’s largest terrestrial predators, residing exclusively on the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in Alaska. Known for their immense size, males can reach over 10 feet tall on their hind legs and weigh up to 1,500 pounds. This substantial physical presence is supported by a remarkably diverse diet and adaptable foraging strategies, allowing them to thrive in their island habitat.
Primary Food Sources
Kodiak bears are omnivores, consuming a wide array of both plant and animal matter. While often perceived as primarily meat-eaters, they spend more time foraging for vegetation, which forms a substantial part of their diet. This includes various grasses, plants, and berries. Berries such as red elderberries, salmonberries, crowberries, and blueberries are significant, alongside sedges, forbs, roots, wildflowers, and wild celery.
Fish, particularly salmon, are a primary component of their diet during spawning seasons. Kodiak bears consume all five species of Pacific salmon found in their local streams and lakes, often prioritizing the nutritious brains, flesh, and eggs for their high fat and protein content. While deer, mountain goats, and elk are present, bears rarely pursue healthy large game. Instead, they are opportunistic feeders, consuming small mammals, insects, rodents, and carrion, often preferring the high-fat internal organs of scavenged animals. Their diet also includes marine invertebrates, seaweed, clams, and washed-up marine mammals found along the coastlines.
Seasonal Diet Changes
The diet of Kodiak bears shifts throughout the year, adapting to the availability of different food sources. When bears emerge from their dens in spring (May-June), their appetites are initially suppressed. They primarily feed on emerging vegetation such as grasses and forbs, along with carrion from animals that perished over the winter. As spring progresses, bears can be observed grazing in meadows, similar to cattle.
Summer marks a period of intense feeding, coinciding with the peak of salmon runs from May through September. This season also brings an abundance of berries, which provide sugars to complement the protein and fat from salmon. In late summer and early fall, bears continue to consume late-ripening berries and any remaining salmon to build significant fat reserves before their winter hibernation.
Hunting and Foraging Behavior
Kodiak bears employ a variety of techniques to acquire their diverse diet. During salmon runs, they exhibit several fishing strategies, including pouncing on fish, scooping them out of the water with their paws, or pinning them to the streambed. Some bears wait patiently where fish are known to jump, while others use a “submarine technique,” pushing themselves underwater and swimming with open jaws to catch fish.
For plant-based foods, bears efficiently forage for berries by pulling them from bushes with their lips and mouths. Although generally solitary, Kodiak bears congregate in large groups at sites with concentrated food availability, such as salmon spawning streams, dense berry patches, or around whale carcasses.