Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Seals are the favorite meal for polar bears, according to the San Diego Zoo, with the ringed seal being its primary target in the wild. Polar bears also prey on other seals such as the bearded, hooded or harp seal. They have the ability to smell them from a distance of 20 miles and can locate a seal's den even when it is covered in snow. Polar bears mainly consume the seal's fat and skin and can eat up to 100 pounds of blubber during a single meal, according to Polar Bears International. They do not consume all of the meat, however; they leave the remains behind for other animals such as the arctic fox or younger bears.
Polar bears also frequently eat birds. The bears swim beneath the birds, particularly in choppy waters, and attack them from below. The eggs and chicks of birds, snow geese in particular, serve as food for hungry polar bears, as noted by Discovery News. This feeding practice occurs more often as global warming forces polar bears to leave their melting sea ice sooner in the season than they used to and head ashore, where they find vulnerable eggs and chicks. Eider ducks are another type of bird that frequently becomes prey for polar bears.
When the opportunity arises, polar bears are known to eat whales. This generally occurs when they come across a beached whale or the carcass of one. Occasionally a smaller whale, such as a beluga or narwhal, may become trapped in an area that is enclosed by ice. When this happens the polar bears seize the opportunity to confront and kill the whale for food.
Although polar bears primarily consume meat, they also eat berries, seaweed and grass as a part of their diet. Polar bears turn to vegetation during the spring and summer months when they are unable to hunt seal, and other sources of meat are scarce or unavailable.