Animals

The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas.

The Golden Eagle has a body length of 30 – 40 inches, a wingspan of 6 1/2 – 7 1/2 feet, and weighs 7 – 13 pounds.

Adult golden eagles are brown with tawny on the back of the head and neck; tail faintly banded.
One way to distinguish a golden eagle from an immature bald eagle is leg plumage. A golden eagle’s legs are entirely feather covered; an immature bald eagle’s lower legs are bare. As seen while in flight, juvenile golden eagles have white patches at the base of the primaries; the tail is white with a distinct dark terminal band. It takes four years to acquire adult plumage.

Golden Eagles range from sea level to several thousand feet, occupying most of the open terrain of deserts, mountains, plateaus, and steppes in the Northern Hemisphere. They are not usually found in heavily forested areas. Golden Eagles living in the northern part of their range move south when the food supply becomes scarce in the winter.

Golden Eagles prey mostly upon medium-sized rodents, rabbits, and hares, but also on birds, especially game birds, reptiles, and carrion. Most prey is taken on the ground from a low flight, but they are fast enough to take birds in flight. Some Golden Eagle pairs will hunt together.