Golden Eagle

Aquila chrysaetos

Weight: 105.8-216.1 oz (3000-6125 g)

Length: 30-40 in (76-102 cm)

Wingspan: 80-88 in (203-224 cm)

 

Habitat

Open country: Mountains, canyonlands, rimrock terrain, riverside cliffs and bluffs

Diet

Medium to small mammals (hares, black tailed jack rabbits, ground squirrels, prairie dogs and marmots), other birds, carrion and fish.

Identification

Adult Golden Eagles have dark brown feathers, faint gray bars on their tails and a golden wash over the back of their head and neck. Immature Golden Eagles are dark brown with white patches on the tips of their wings and their tails are white with a dark brown terminal band.

Behavior

Golden eagles are one of the largest and most powerful raptors in North America, second only to the Bald Eagle. They can soar through the skies for long amounts of time, turn their heads 270º to search for prey and have long, sharp hallux (rear) claws. If they spot prey while soaring, they can tuck their wings and swoop at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. Golden eagles can carry up to 8 pounds during flight!

Golden Eagles maintain a territory as large as 77 square miles (200 km2). They often mate for life and build nests in high places like trees, telephone poles or in cliffs. Generally, several nesting sites are created within their territory and they are used on different years. Nests can be as big as 8 feet across and 3 feet deep, constructed of large twigs and lined with moss, bark or fur.

Some Golden Eagles are known to migrate south in the winter when their food source becomes scarce, especially if they are located in Alaska or Canada.

Conservation

The Golden Eagle is federally protected under the Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1962. Although not threatened globally, its population levels have decreased in some parts of North America.

Further Reading

Golden Eagle Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Golden Eagle | Audubon Field Guide