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Golden Eagle

Golden Eagle

Aquila chrysaetos

Identify the Golden Eagle by sound or photo and log your sightings with Birdpass.

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The Golden Eagle is a large, powerful raptor of mountains, moorland and wild open country across the Northern Hemisphere and the most widely distributed eagle in the world. Dark brown with a golden sheen on the nape, it is renowned for fast, agile hunting and formidable talons. It has disappeared from many densely populated areas but persists where extensive wild landscapes remain.

Did you know?

  • It is the most widely distributed eagle species.
  • Its legs are feathered right down to the toes, a hallmark of the booted eagles.

Voice

Call

About the species

Identification

A large, dark eagle with a golden-yellow sheen on the nape. It has a long tail, relatively small head and fairly narrow wings. Juveniles show white patches at the base of the flight feathers and a broadly white tail base with a dark terminal band. Told from White-tailed Eagle by its longer tail, smaller head and golden nape.

Family

Accipitridae

Size

Very large (swan)

Colours

brown, orange, yellow

About the habitat

Rugged, open landscapes – mountains, cliffs, moorland, tundra, steppe and extensive forest with bogs and clearings – generally away from human disturbance.

Diet

Mainly medium-sized mammals such as hares, rabbits, marmots and ground squirrels, as well as grouse and other birds; also carrion, especially in winter, and occasionally larger prey such as fox cubs or fawns.

Behaviour

Soars with wings held in a shallow V and makes long, fast glides; hunts from high soaring flight or low contour-hugging flight with powerful stoops. Pairs are long-term, hold large territories with dramatic undulating display flights and reuse massive nests on cliffs or in large trees for years. The female lays up to four eggs and incubates for about six weeks; usually one or two young fledge. Juveniles wander widely for several years before settling.

Sources

Photo: Giles Laurent, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:015 Wild Golden Eagle in flight at Pfyn-Finges (Switzerland) Photo by Giles Laurent.jpg

Sound: Pascal Christe, XC1145141, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://xeno-canto.org/1145141

Text: Wikipedia (English) + FinBIF species descriptions, CC BY-SA 4.0; FinBIF: CC BY 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_eagle

See also