147-525: See text. Icthyophaga (often misspelled as Ichthyophaga ) is a genus of six species of eagles , closely related to the sea eagles in the genus Haliaeetus . In fact, some taxonomic authorities place this genus within Haliaeetus . Both are native to southeastern Asia, from the Indian subcontinent southeast to Sulawesi . They are smaller than the Haliaeetus eagles, though overlapping in size with
294-536: A paleosubspecies Aquila chrysaetos bonifacti , and the huge specimens of the Late Pleistocene of Liko Cave ( Crete ) have been named Aquila chrysaetos simurgh (Weesie, 1988). Similarly, an ancestral golden eagle, with a heavier, broader skull, larger wings and shorter legs when compared to modern birds, has been found in the La Brea Tar Pits of southern California . The golden eagle
441-685: A 5% or less rate of loss in eagles and vultures. The oldest known wild golden eagle was a bird banded in Sweden which was recovered 32 years later. The longest-lived known wild golden eagle in North America was 31 years and 8 months. The longest-lived known captive golden eagle, a specimen in Europe, survived to 46 years of age. The estimated adult annual survival rate on the Isle of Skye in Scotland
588-436: A 6.8 kg (15 lb) mule deer fawn. However, a few eagles may target prey considerably heavier than themselves; such prey is too heavy to fly with, thus it is either eaten at the site of the kill or taken in pieces back to a perch or nest. Golden and crowned eagles have killed ungulates weighing up to 30 kg (66 lb) and a martial eagle even killed a 37 kg (82 lb) duiker , 7–8 times heavier than
735-443: A breeding pair. In western Montana , nine distinct calls were noted: a chirp , a seeir , a pssa , a skonk , a cluck , a wonk , a honk and a hiss . Golden eagles are sometimes considered the best fliers among eagles and perhaps among all raptorial birds. They are equipped with broad, long wings with somewhat finger-like indentations on the tips of the wing. Golden eagles are unique among their genus in that they often fly in
882-459: A close genetic relationship with Haliastur and Milvus ; the whole group is only distantly related to the Buteo group. Fish eagles exist in every continent throughout the world, except for South America. Although fish eagles can be found in many different places around the world, they have been classified as "Near Threatened". Reasons such as overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction, and
1029-425: A dominance of open vegetation, large concentrations of prey, and the general absence of human disturbance. In the midwestern United States, they are not uncommon during winter near reservoirs and wildlife refuges that provide foraging opportunities at waterfowl concentrations. Golden eagles usually hunt during daylight hours, but were recorded hunting from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset during
1176-504: A few shared ecological characteristics. They are best suited to hunting in open or semi-open areas and search them out year-around. Native vegetation seems to be attractive to them and they typically avoid developed areas of any type from urban to agricultural as well as heavily forested regions. In desolate areas (e.g., the southern Yukon ), they can occur regularly at roadkills and garbage dumps. The largest numbers of golden eagles are found in mountainous regions today, with many eagles doing
1323-696: A forceful symbol in national identity and imagery is demonstrated by its widespread usage. Golden eagle 6, see text The golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ) is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere . It is the most widely distributed species of eagle . Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae . They are one of the best-known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. These birds are dark brown, with lighter golden-brown plumage on their napes . Immature eagles of this species typically have white on
1470-465: A formidable fight against a golden eagle. An attempted capture of a great blue heron by a golden eagle resulted in the death of both birds from wounds sustained in the ensuing fight. There is at least one case in Scotland of a golden eagle dying after being "oiled" by a northern fulmar , a bird whose primary defense against predators is to disgorge an oily secretion which may inhibit the predator's ability to fly. Of natural sources of death, starvation
1617-596: A golden eagle can reach 240 to 320 kilometres per hour (150 to 200 mph). Although less agile and manoeuvrable, the golden eagle is apparently quite the equal and possibly even the superior of the peregrine falcon 's stooping and gliding speeds. This makes the golden eagle one of the two fastest living animals. Although most flight in golden eagles has a clear purpose (e.g., territoriality, hunting), some flights, such as those by solitary birds or between well-established breeding pairs, seem to be play. Size readily distinguishes this species from most other raptors when it
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#17327654518221764-468: A golden eagle. Among raptorial birds that share the golden eagle's range, only some Old World vultures and the California condor are distinctly larger, with longer, broader wings, typically held more evenly in a slower, less forceful flight; they often have dramatically different colour patterns. In North America, the golden eagle may be confused with the turkey vulture from a great distance, as it
1911-603: A grizzled pattern. The tail follows a similar pattern of maturation to the wings. Due to the variability between individuals, juvenile eagles cannot be reliably aged by sight alone. Many golden eagles still have white on the tail during their first attempt at nesting. The final adult plumage is not fully attained until the birds are between 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 and 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 years old. This species moults gradually beginning in March or April until September or October each year. Moulting usually decreases in winter. Moult of
2058-473: A large part of their diets, either fresh or as carrion. Proposed subfamily Haliaeetinae. Genera: Haliaeetus , Icthyophaga . Some authors include Gypohierax angolensis , the "vulturine fish eagle" (also called the palm-nut vulture ) in this group. However, genetic analyses indicate it is related to a grouping of Neophron – Gypaetus – Eutriorchis ( Egyptian vulture , bearded vulture (lammergeier), and Madagascar serpent eagle ). The fish eagles have
2205-414: A less faded colour. Young birds are white for about two-thirds of their tail length, ending with a broad, black band. Occasionally, juvenile eagles have white patches on the remiges at the bases of the inner primaries and the outer secondaries, forming a crescent marking on the wings which tends to be divided by darker feathers. Rarely, juvenile birds may have only traces of white on the tail. Compared to
2352-635: A majority of their hunting and nesting on rock formations. However, they are not solely tied to high elevations and can breed in lowlands if the local habitats are suitable. Below are more detailed descriptions of habitats occupied by golden eagles in both continents where they occur. In the Arctic fringe of Eurasia, golden eagles occur along the edge of the tundra and the taiga from the Kola peninsula to Anadyr in eastern Siberia , nesting in forests and hunting over nearby arctic heathland . Typical vegetation
2499-424: A natural group but denote essentially any kind of bird of prey large enough to hunt sizeable (about 50 cm long or more overall) vertebrates . The word "eagle" is borrowed into English from Anglo-Norman : eagle and Middle French : aigle , both derived ultimately from Latin : aquila ("eagle"). It is cognate with terms such as French : aigle , Portuguese : águia and Spanish : águila . It
2646-476: A paler, typically golden colour on the back of the crown and nape that gives the species its common name. Unlike other Aquila species, where the tarsal feathers are typically similar in colour to the rest of the plumage, the tarsal feathers of golden eagles tend to be paler, ranging from light golden to white. In addition, some full-grown birds (especially in North America) have white " epaulettes " on
2793-524: A particular tendency for silence, even while breeding. That being said, some vocalization has been recorded, usually centering around the nesting period. The voice of the golden eagle is considered weak, high, and shrill, has been called "quite pathetic" and "puppy-like", and seems incongruous with the formidable size and nature of the species. Most known vocalisations seem to function as contact calls between eagles, sometimes adults to their offspring, occasionally territorial birds to intruders and rarely between
2940-513: A person or a helicopter. Females in Israel displayed more than males and mostly against interspecific intruders; males apparently displayed primarily as part of courtship. Five of 7 aggressive encounters at carcasses during winter in Norway were won by females; in 15 of 21 conflicts, the younger bird dominated an older conspecific. However, obvious juvenile eagles (apparent to the adult eagles due to
3087-522: A replacement of Ichthyophaga with Piscinquilinus , eliminating the controversial name for both birds and worms. A new family, Piscinquilinidae , has been proposed in 2017 to accommodate Piscinquilinus . However, Ernest Williams and Lucy Bunkley-Williams opposed this proposal and advocated retaining the original name for the turbellarian genus Ichthyophaga . In 2017, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature , following
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#17327654518223234-424: A short migration may be untaken by those who breed or hatch at about 50° N. During migration, they often use soaring-gliding flight, rather than powered flight. In Finland , most banded juveniles move between 1,000 and 2,000 km (620 and 1,240 mi) due south, whereas adults stay locally through winter. Further east, conditions are too harsh for even wintering territorial adults. Golden eagles that breed from
3381-447: A similar posture with wings spread wide and oriented toward the threat; sometimes rocking back on tail and even flopping over onto the back with talons extended upward as defense. Such behavior may be accompanied by wing slap against the threatening intruder. When approached by an intruder, the defending eagle turns away, partially spreads tail, lowers head, and remains still; adults on the nest may lower head and "freeze" when approached by
3528-450: A slight dihedral , which means the wings are often held in a slight, upturned V-shape. When they need to flap, golden eagles appear at their most laboured, but this is less common than soaring or gliding––. Flapping flight usually consists of 6–8 deep wing-beats, interspersed with 2–3 second glides. While soaring, the wings and tail are held in one plane with the primary tips often spread. A typical, unhurried soaring speed in golden eagles
3675-566: A threat to their livelihoods. This period also brought about the firearm and industrialized poisons, which made it easy for humans to kill the evasive and powerful birds. In 2017 the French Army trained golden eagles to catch drones. The golden eagle is officially Utah's state bird of prey. At one time, the golden eagle lived in a great majority of temperate Europe , North Asia , North America , North Africa , and Japan . Although widespread and quite secure in some areas, in many parts of
3822-621: A variety of Sclerophyllous shrubs are well-adapted to prolonged summer droughts. From Turkey and the southern Caspian Sea to the foothills of the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan , the typical golden eagle habitat is temperate desert-like mountain ranges surrounded by steppe landscapes interspersed with forest. Here the climate is colder and more continental than around the Mediterranean. Golden eagles occupy
3969-625: A week and then gorge on up to 900 g (2.0 lb) at one sitting. The diet of golden eagles is composed primarily of small mammals such as rabbits , hares , ground squirrels , prairie dogs , and marmots . They also eat other birds (usually of medium size, such as gamebirds ), reptiles , and fish in smaller numbers. Golden eagles occasionally capture large prey, including seals , ungulates , coyotes , and badgers . They have also been known to capture large flying birds such as geese or cranes . They have also been known to prey on other raptors, including owls and falcons . Despite
4116-469: Is Latin for "eagle", possibly derived from aquilus , "dark in colour" and chrysaetos is Ancient Greek for the golden eagle from khrusos , "gold" and aetos , "eagle". The golden eagle is part of a broad group of raptors called "booted eagles" which are defined by the feature that all species have feathering over their tarsus , unlike many other accipitrids which have bare legs. Included in this group are all species described as "hawk eagles" including
4263-411: Is a large species that, like the golden eagle, often flies with a pronounced dihedral. The turkey vulture can be distinguished by its less controlled, forceful flying style (they frequently rock back and forth unsteadily in even moderate winds) and its smaller, thinner body, much smaller head and, at closer range, its slaty black-brown colour and silvery wing secondaries. Compared to Haliaeetus eagles,
4410-467: Is a very large raptor, 66 to 102 centimetres (26 to 40 in) in length. Its wings are broad and the wingspan is 1.8 to 2.34 metres (5 ft 11 in to 7 ft 8 in). The wingspan of golden eagles is the fifth largest among living eagle species. Females are larger than males , with a bigger difference in larger subspecies. Females of the large Himalayan golden eagles are about 37% heavier than males and have nearly 9% longer wings, whereas in
4557-548: Is actually genetically aligned to the Hieraaetus lineage. Cassin's hawk-eagle ( H. africanus ) is also probably closely related to the Hieraaetus group rather than the Spizaetus/Nisaetus "hawk-eagle" group (in which it was previously classified) which is not known to have radiated to Africa. There are six extant subspecies of golden eagle that differ slightly in size and plumage . Individuals of any of
Icthyophaga - Misplaced Pages Continue
4704-697: Is after all a two-edged sword. All hawks seem to have this habit, from the smallest kestrel to the largest Ferruginous – but not the Eagles. Among the eagles are some of the largest birds of prey: only the condors and some of the Old World vultures are markedly larger. It is regularly debated which should be considered the largest species of eagle. They could be measured variously in total length, body mass, or wingspan. Different lifestyle needs among various eagles result in variable measurements from species to species. For example, many forest-dwelling eagles, including
4851-616: Is also often used in Christian iconography to represent the Gospel of John , and eagle-shaped lecterns are common in Anglican and some Roman Catholic churches . The eagle was believed to be able to look directly into the sun in the same way that the Gospel of John looks directly at Jesus' divinity, and the great distances the eagle flies represent the spread of the gospel to the ends of
4998-469: Is an account of a golden eagle dying from the quills of a North American porcupine ( Erethizon dorsatum ) it had attempted to hunt. On the Isle of Rùm in Scotland, there are a few cases of red deer trampling golden eagles to death, probably the result of a doe having intercepted a bird that was trying to kill a fawn. Although usually well out-matched by the predator, occasionally other large birds can put up
5145-402: Is around 45–52 kilometres per hour (28–32 mph). When hunting or displaying, the golden eagle can glide very fast, reaching speeds of up to 190 kilometres per hour (120 mph). When stooping (diving) in the direction of prey or during territorial displays, the eagle holds its legs up against its tail, and holds its wings tight and partially closed against its body. When diving after prey,
5292-447: Is around 97.5%. When this extrapolated into an estimated lifespan this results in 39 + 1 ⁄ 2 years as the average for adult golden eagles in this area, which is probably far too high an estimate. Survival rates are usually much lower in juvenile eagles than in adult eagles. In the western Rocky Mountains , 50% of golden eagles banded in the nest died by the time they were 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 years and an estimated 75% died by
5439-467: Is broadly synonymous with the less common English term "erne" or "earn", deriving from Middle English : ern , from Old English : earn , in which it acts as the usual word for the bird. The Old English term is turn derived from Proto-Germanic : * arnuz and is cognate with other synonymous words in Germanic languages such as Swedish : örn , German : Aar and Gothic : ara . Through
5586-718: Is comparable in size to a common buzzard ( Buteo buteo ) or red-tailed hawk ( B. jamaicensis ), have relatively longer and more evenly broad wings, and more direct, faster flight, despite the reduced size of their aerodynamic feathers. Most eagles are larger than any other raptors , apart from some vultures . The smallest species of eagle is the Great Nicobar serpent eagle ( Spilornis klossi ), at 450 g (1 lb) and 40 cm (16 in). The largest species are discussed below. Like all birds of prey, eagles have very large hooked beaks for ripping flesh from their prey, strong, muscular legs, and powerful talons . The beak
5733-438: Is complete. In North Africa , populations breeding at lower latitudes, like Morocco, are mostly sedentary, although some occasionally disperse after breeding to areas outside of the normal breeding range. Territoriality is believed to be the primary cause of interactions and confrontations between non-paired golden eagles. Golden eagles maintain some of the largest known home ranges (or territories) of any bird species but there
5880-496: Is considered, it is the second most wide-ranging species after only the osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ). Few other eagle species are as numerous, though some species like the tawny eagle, wedge-tailed eagle and bald eagle have total estimated populations of a similar size to the golden eagle's despite their more restricted distributions. The world's most populous eagle may be the African fish eagle ( Haliaeetus vocifer ), which has
6027-561: Is debated. Large subspecies are the heaviest representatives of the genus Aquila and this species is on average the seventh-heaviest living eagle species. The golden eagle is the second heaviest breeding eagle in North America, Europe and Africa and the fourth heaviest in Asia. For some time, the largest known mass authenticated for a wild female was the specimen from the A. c. chrysaetos subspecies which weighed around 6.7 kg (15 lb) and spanned 2.55 m (8 ft 4 in) across
Icthyophaga - Misplaced Pages Continue
6174-666: Is dominated by open, rough grassland, heath and bogs, and rocky ridges, spurs, crags , scree , slopes and grand plateaux. In Sweden , Finland , the Baltic States , Belarus and almost the entire distribution in Russia all the way to the Pacific Ocean , golden eagles occur sparsely in lowland taiga forest. These areas are dominated by stands of evergreens such as pine , larch and spruce , occasionally supplemented by birch and alder stands in southern Scandinavia and
6321-532: Is formed in a courtship display. This courtship includes undulating displays by both in the pair, with the male bird picking up a piece of rock or a small stick, and dropping it only to enter into a steep dive and catch it in mid-air, repeating the maneuver 3 or more times. The female takes a clump of earth and drops and catches it in the same fashion. Golden eagles typically build several eyries within their territory (preferring cliffs) and use them alternately for several years. Their nesting areas are characterized by
6468-656: Is much variation of home range size across the range, possibly dictated by food abundance and habitat preference. Home ranges in most of the range can vary from 20 to 200 km (7.7 to 77.2 sq mi). In San Diego County in California , the home ranges varied from 49 to 137 km (19 to 53 sq mi), with an average of 93 km (36 sq mi). However, some home ranges have been much smaller, such as in southwestern Idaho where, possibly due to an abundance of jackrabbits, home ranges as small as 4.85 km (1.87 sq mi) are maintained. The smallest known home ranges on record for golden eagles are in
6615-735: Is probably under-reported. 11 of 16 dead juvenile eagles which had hatched in Denali National Park had died of starvation. Of 36 deaths of golden eagles in Idaho, 55% were possibly attributable to natural causes, specifically 8 (26%) from unknown trauma, 3 (10%) from disease and 6 (19%) from unknown causes. Of 266 golden eagle deaths in Spain, only 6% were from unknown causes that could not be directly attributed to human activities. Avian cholera caused by bacteria ( Pasteurella multocida ) infects eagles that eat waterfowl that have died from
6762-407: Is reported, since the eagles tend to avoid detection by actively contour-hunting rather than looking for carrion. Golden eagles are believed to sleep through much of the night. Although usually highly solitary outside of the bond between breeding pairs, exceptionally cold weather in winter may cause eagles to put their usual guard down and perch together. The largest known congregation of golden eagles
6909-515: Is seen well. Most other raptors are considerably smaller. Buteo hawks, which are perhaps most similar to the golden eagle in structure among the species outside of the "booted eagle" group, are often counted among the larger very common raptors. However, a mid-sized Buteo is dwarfed by a golden eagle, as an adult female eagle has about double the wingspan and about five times the weight. Buteos are also usually distinctly paler below, although some species occur in dark morphs which can be darker than
7056-453: Is sometimes preceded or followed by intense bouts of undulating displays. The invader often responds by rolling over and presenting talons to the aggressor. Rarely, the two eagles will lock talons and tumble through the air; sometimes fall several revolutions and in some cases even tumble to the ground before releasing their grip. In some parts of the Alps, the golden eagle population has reached
7203-431: Is stunted, fragmented larch woodland merging into low birch - willow scrub and various heathland. In the rocky, wet, windy maritime climate of Scotland , Ireland , and western Scandinavia , the golden eagle dwells in mountains. These areas include upland grasslands , blanket bog , and sub-Arctic heaths but also fragmented woodland and woodland edge , including boreal forests . In Western Europe, golden eagle habitat
7350-697: Is the common name for the golden eagle , bald eagle , and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae . Eagles belong to several groups of genera , some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus Aquila . Most of the 68 species of eagles are from Eurasia and Africa . Outside this area, just 14 species can be found—two in North America , nine in Central and South America , and three in Australia . Eagles are not
7497-401: Is typically heavier than that of most other birds of prey. Eagles' eyes are extremely powerful. It is estimated that the wedge-tailed eagle has a visual acuity twice that of a typical human. This acuity enables eagles to spot potential prey from a very long distance. This keen eyesight is primarily attributed to their extremely large pupils which ensure minimal diffraction (scattering) of
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#17327654518227644-528: The Adrar Plateau in Mauritania to northern Yemen and Oman where the desert habitat is largely bereft of vegetation but offers many rocky plateaus to support both the eagles and their prey. In Israel , their habitat is mainly rocky slopes and wide wadi areas, chiefly in desert and to a lesser extent in semi-desert and Mediterranean climates, extending to open areas. In Northeastern Africa ,
7791-501: The Bale Mountains of Ethiopia . Other booted eagles in the golden eagle's range are unlikely to be confused due to differences in size and form. The only species in the genus Aquila that exceeds the golden eagle in average wingspan and length is the wedge-tailed eagle of Australasia ; however, the wedge-tailed eagle is a slightly less heavy bird. Golden eagles are fairly adaptable in habitat but often reside in areas with
7938-462: The Holarctic , it has disappeared from many areas that are heavily populated by humans. Despite being extirpated from or uncommon in some of its former range, the species is still widespread, being present in sizeable stretches of Eurasia , North America , and parts of North Africa . It is the largest and least populous of the five species of true accipitrid to occur as a breeding species in both
8085-781: The Holy Roman Empire . The eagle of the Holy Roman Empire was two-headed, supposedly representing the two divisions, East and West , of the old Roman Empire. This motif, derived from the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire was also adopted by the Russian Empire and is still featured in the Flag of Albania . The Roman eagle was preceded by the eagle of Ptolemaic Egypt and the Achaemenid Empire . In
8232-704: The Kola peninsula to Anadyr in the Russian Far East migrate south to winter on the Russian and Mongolian steppes, and the North China Plains . The flat, relatively open landscapes in these regions hold relatively few resident breeding golden eagles. Similarly the entire population of golden eagles from northern and central Alaska and northern Canada migrates south. At Mount Lorette in Alberta , approximately 4,000 golden eagles may pass during
8379-638: The Lhasa River watershed , where they regularly join groups of soaring Himalayan vultures ( Gyps himalayensis ). One golden eagle was recorded circling at 6,190 m (20,310 ft) above sea-level in Khumbu in May 1975. In the mountains of Japan and Korea, the golden eagle occupies deciduous scrub woodland and carpet-like stands of Siberian dwarf pine ( Pinus pumila ) that merge into grasslands and alpine heathland. The golden eagle occurs in mountains from
8526-693: The Palearctic and the Nearctic . For centuries, this species has been one of the most highly regarded birds used in falconry . Because of its hunting prowess, the golden eagle is regarded with great mystic reverence in some ancient, tribal cultures. It is one of the most extensively studied species of raptor in the world in some parts of its range, such as the Western United States and the Western Palearctic . This species
8673-485: The Proto-Indo-European root, it is further related to words such as Greek : ὄρνις ("bird") and Lithuanian : erelis ("eagle"). Although "erne" can be used to refer to any eagle, it is most commonly used for the golden eagle or sea-eagle. Eagles are large, powerfully-built birds of prey , with heavy heads and beaks. Even the smallest eagles, such as the booted eagle ( Hieraaetus pennatus ), which
8820-479: The Southwestern United States , wintering birds may depart by early March. Elsewhere in the species' breeding range, golden eagles (i.e., those who breed in the contiguous Western United States, all of Europe but for Northern Scandinavia, North Africa and all of Asia but for Northern Russia) are non-migratory and tend to remain within striking distance of their breeding territories throughout
8967-657: The Ungava Peninsula in Quebec , the eagles occupy the Arctic fringe of North America (the species does not range into the true high Arctic tundra), where open canopy gives way to dwarf-shrub heathland with cottongrass and tussock tundra. In land-locked areas of the sub-Arctic, golden eagles are by far the largest raptor. From the Alaska Range to Washington and Oregon , it is often found in high mountains above
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#17327654518229114-429: The buteonine black-chested buzzard-eagle of South America, may assume the position of top raptorial predator in open areas. Many other eagles, including the species-rich genus Spizaetus , live predominantly in woodlands and forests. These eagles often target various arboreal or ground-dwelling mammals and birds, which are often unsuspectingly ambushed in such dense, knotty environments. Hunting techniques differ among
9261-410: The gape measures around 6 cm (2.4 in). The long, straight and powerful hallux-claw (hind claw) can range from 4.5 to 6.34 cm (1.77 to 2.50 in), about one centimetre longer than in a bald eagle and a little more than one centimetre less than a harpy eagle . Adults of both sexes have similar plumage and are primarily dark brown, with some grey on the inner wing and tail, and
9408-501: The tree line or on bluffs and cliffs along river valleys below the tree line. In Washington state, golden eagles can be found in clear-cut sections of otherwise dense coniferous forest zones with relatively little annual precipitation. From east of the Canadian Rocky Mountains to the mountains of Labrador, the golden eagle is found in small numbers in boreal forest peatlands and similar mixed woodland areas . In
9555-406: The wedge-tailed eagle (clearly part of an Australasian radiation of the lineage). This identification of this particular clade has long been suspected based on similar morphological characteristics amongst these large-bodied species. More surprisingly, the smaller, much paler-bellied sister species Bonelli's eagle ( A. fasciatus ) and African hawk-eagle ( A. spilogaster ), previously included in
9702-740: The Appalachian Plateau region, especially in Pennsylvania , New York , West Virginia , Maryland and Virginia . Most sightings in the Eastern United States recently are concentrated within or along southwestern border of the Appalachian Plateau (30% of records) and within the Coastal Plain physiographic region (33% of records). Though they do regularly nest in the marsh-like peatland of
9849-657: The Bale Mountains of Ethiopia, where they range from 1.5 to 9 km (0.58 to 3.47 sq mi). 46% of undulating displays in Montana occurred shortly after the juvenile eagles left their parents range, suggesting that some residents defend and maintain territories year-round. Elsewhere it is stated that home ranges are less strictly maintained during winter but hunting grounds are basically exclusive. In Israel and Scotland, aggressive encounters peaked from winter until just before egg-laying and were less common during
9996-585: The Baltic States. This is largely marginal country for golden eagles and they occur where tree cover is thin and abuts open habitat. Golden eagle taiga habitat usually consists of extensive peatland formations caused by poorly drained soils. In central Europe, golden eagles today occur almost exclusively in the major mountain ranges, such as the Pyrenees , Alps , Carpathians , and the Caucasus . Here,
10143-677: The Eastern United States, the species once bred widely in the Appalachian Plateau near burns , open marshes , meadows , bogs and lakes . In Eastern North America, the species still breeds on the Gaspe Peninsula , Quebec . Until 1999, a pair of golden eagles were still known to nest in Maine but they are now believed to be absent as a breeding bird from the Eastern United States . The golden eagles who breed in eastern Canada winter on montane grass and heath fields in
10290-480: The Iberian Peninsula. Booted eagles or "true eagles" have feathered tarsi (lower legs). Tribe Aquililae or proposed subfamily Aquilinae. Genera: Aquila , Hieraaetus ; Spizaetus , Oroaetus , Spizastur ; Nisaetus ; Ictinaetus , Lophoaetus ; Polemaetus ; and Stephanoaetus . See comments under eagle species for changes to the composition of these genera. Most snake or serpent eagles, as
10437-484: The Spanish; cream and tawny streaks in the eastern) and are not likely to be confused. Steppe eagles can also approach golden eagles in size but are more compact and smaller headed with little colour variation to their dark earth-brown plumage, apart from juvenile birds which have distinctive cream-coloured bands running through their coverts and secondaries. Verreaux's eagles are most similar in size and body shape to
10584-436: The aforementioned wolverine, snow leopard, cougar, brown bear and white-tailed eagle attacks. Most competitive attacks resulting in death probably occur at the talons of other golden eagles. Nestlings and fledglings are more likely to be killed by another predator than free-flying juveniles and adults. It has been suspected that golden eagle nests may be predated more frequently by other predators (especially birds, which are often
10731-627: The alpine ranges from the Altai Mountains and the Pamir Mountains to Tibet , in the great Himalayan massif , and Xinjiang , China , where they occupy the Tien Shan range. In these mountain ranges, the species often lives at very high elevations, living above tree line at more than 2,500 m (8,200 ft), often nesting in rocky scree and hunting in adjacent meadows. In Tibet, golden eagles inhabit high ridges and passes in
10878-447: The amount of white on their wings and tail) are sometimes allowed to penetrate deeply into a pair's home range and all parties commonly ignore each other. In North Dakota , it was verified that parent eagles were not aggressive towards their own young after the nesting period and some juveniles stayed on their parents territory until their 2nd spring and then left by their own accord. Golden eagles usually mate for life. A breeding pair
11025-436: The bird exhibits generalist feeding behavior, which means it does not hunt down specific types of snakes but rather feeds on them depending on their availability in the wild. Harpy eagles or "giant forest eagles" are large eagles that inhabit tropical forests. The group contains two to six species, depending on the author. Although these birds occupy similar niches and have traditionally been grouped, they are not all related:
11172-520: The bird is derived from Latin : aquila by way of French : aigle . The origin of aquila is unknown, but it is believed to possibly derive from aquilus (meaning dark-colored, swarthy, or blackish) as a reference to the plumage of eagles. Old English used the term earn , related to Scandinavia's ørn / örn . It is similar to other Indo-European terms for "bird" or "eagle", including Greek : ὄρνις ( ornís ), Russian : орёл ( orël ), and Welsh : eryr . In
11319-470: The boreal forest, golden eagles are not generally associated with wetlands and, in fact, they can be found near some of the most arid spots on earth. In the wintering population of Eastern United States, however, they are often associated with steep river valleys, reservoirs, and marshes in inland areas as well as estuarine marshlands, barrier islands, managed wetlands, sounds, and mouths of major river systems in coastal areas. These wetlands are attractive due to
11466-417: The breeding season in southwestern Idaho . The hunting success rate of golden eagles was calculated in Idaho, showing that, out of 115 hunting attempts, 20% were successful in procuring prey. A fully-grown golden eagle requires about 230 to 250 g (8.1 to 8.8 oz) of food per day but in the life of most eagles there are cycles of feast and famine, and eagles have been known to go without food for up to
11613-455: The coat of arms of Kotka , Finland, the eagle is depicted carrying an anchor and the caduceus on its feet. Heraldic eagles are most often found displayed , i.e. with their wings and legs extended. They can also occur close , i.e. with their wings folded, or rising , i.e. about to take flight. The heads, wings, and legs of eagles can also be found independently. Eagles symbolize strength, courage, and independence and are commonly found in
11760-448: The contour feathers begins on the head and neck region and progresses along the feather tracts in a general front-to-back direction. Feathers on head, neck, back and scapulars may be replaced annually. With large feathers of the wing and tail, moult begins with the innermost feathers and proceeds outwards in a straightforward manner known as "descendant" moult. While many accipitrids are not known for their strong voices, golden eagles have
11907-621: The disease. The protozoan Trichomonas sp. caused the deaths of four fledglings in a study of wild golden eagles in Idaho. Several further diseases that contribute to golden eagle deaths have been examined in Japan. A captive eagle died from two malignant tumors – one in the liver and one in the kidney. In December 2016, the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed allowing wind-turbine electric generation companies to kill golden eagles without penalty, so long as "companies take steps to minimize
12054-539: The dramatic ways in which they attain food and interact with raptors of their own and other species, the daily life of golden eagles is often rather uneventful. In Idaho , adult male golden eagles were observed to sit awake on a perch for an average of 78% of daylight, whereas adult females sat on nest or perched for an average of 85% of the day. During the peak of summer in Utah , hunting and territorial flights occurred mostly between 9:00 and 11:00 am and 4:00 and 6:00 pm, with
12201-622: The eagle Zeus bearing Ganymede aloft, from Classical times up to the present (see illustrations in the Ganymede (mythology) page.) Eagles appear metaphorically in many translations of the Old Testament . God is spoken of as carrying Israel on "eagles' wings" in Exodus 19:4, Isaiah 40:31 compares those who wait on the Lord to flying eagles, and Psalm 103 mentions renewing one's youth "as
12348-558: The eagle and often depicted eagles in their art. The golden eagle was sacred to the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli while the harpy eagle was sacred to Quetzalcoatl . Eagles are an exceptionally common symbol in heraldry, being considered the "King of Birds" in contrast to the lion , the "King of Beasts". Whereas the lion (e.g. England) usually represents authority, the eagle is the symbol of power. They are particularly popular in Germanic countries such as Austria, due to their association with
12495-462: The eagle was able to look directly at the sun, and that they forced their fledglings to do the same. Those that blinked would be cast from the nest. This belief persisted until the Medieval era . The eagle is the patron animal of the ancient Greek god Zeus . In particular, Zeus was said to have taken the form of an eagle in order to abduct Ganymede , and there are numerous artistic depictions of
12642-579: The eagle". In explaining this rejuvenation, Augustine of Hippo says in his commentary on the Psalms that eagles' beaks overgrow as they age and that they break them against rocks to restore them. The translation, however, is uncertain: the word in the Hebrew, נשר , can also be translated vulture , and is listed alongside specific kinds of vulture in Leviticus ' discussion of unclean animals . The eagle
12789-454: The earth. The United States eagle feather law stipulates that only individuals of certifiable Native American ancestry enrolled in a federally recognized tribe are legally authorized to obtain eagle feathers for religious or spiritual reasons. In Canada, the poaching of eagle feathers for the booming U.S. market has sometimes resulted in the arrests of First Nations person for the crime. The Moche people of ancient Peru worshiped
12936-457: The extreme regularity of the nest spacing. Mating and egg-laying timing for golden eagle is variable depending on the locality. Copulation normally lasts 10–20 seconds. Mating seems to occur around 40–46 days before the initial egg-laying. The golden eagle chick may be heard from within the egg 15 hours before it begins hatching. After the first chip is broken off of the egg, there is no activity for around 27 hours. Hatching activity accelerates and
13083-1180: The fall, the largest recorded migration of golden eagles on earth. Here the mountain ranges are relatively moderate and consistent, thus being reliable for thermals and updrafts which made long-distance migrating feasible. Birds hatched in Denali National Park in Alaska traveled from 818 to 4,815 km (508 to 2,992 mi) to their winter ranges in western North America. These western migrants may winter anywhere from southern Alberta and Montana to New Mexico and Arizona and from inland California to Nebraska . Adults who bred in northeastern Hudson Bay area of Canada reached their wintering grounds, which range from central Michigan to southern Pennsylvania to northeastern Alabama , in 26 to 40 days, with arrival dates from November to early December. The departure dates from wintering grounds are variable. In southwestern Canada, they leave their wintering grounds by 6 April to 8 May (the mean being 21 April); in southwestern Idaho, wintering birds leave from 20 March to 13 April (mean of 29 March); and in
13230-576: The figures listed are the median reported for each measurement in the guide Raptors of the World in which only measurements that could be personally verified by the authors were listed. The eagles are generally distributed in all types of habitats and nearly all parts of the world. The birds can be found in northern tundra to tropical rainforests and deserts. In North America, bald eagles and golden eagles are very common. Eagles are often informally divided into four groups. The snake eagles are placed in
13377-444: The following six species: [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] As both the common and generic names suggest, both fish eagle and the grey-headed fish eagle feed largely on fish , caught mainly in fresh water on lakes and large rivers, but also occasionally in salt water in estuaries and along coasts. Eagle See text Eagle
13524-765: The foothills of the Rocky Mountains in the United States are plains and prairies where golden eagles are widespread, especially where there is a low human presence. Here, grassland on low rolling hills and flat plains are typical, interrupted only by cottonwood stands around river valleys and wetlands where the eagles may build their nests. Golden eagles also occupy the desert-like Great Basin from southern Idaho to northern Arizona and New Mexico . In this habitat, trees are generally absent other than junipers with vegetation being dominated by sagebrush ( Artemisia ) and other low shrub species. Although
13671-400: The genera Spizaetus and Nisaetus , as well as assorted monotypical genera such as Oroaetus , Lophaetus , Stephanoaetus , Polemaetus , Lophotriorchis and Ictinaetus . The genus Aquila is distributed across every continent but for South America and Antarctica . Up to 20 species have been classified in the genus, but more recently the taxonomic placement of some of
13818-510: The genus Hieraaetus , have been revealed to be genetically much closer to the Verreaux's and golden eagle lineage than to other species traditionally included in the genus Aquila . Other largish Aquila species, the eastern imperial , the Spanish imperial , the tawny and the steppe eagles , are now thought to be separate, close-knit clade, which attained some similar characteristics to
13965-456: The genus as I ch thyophaga in their work, and this erroneous usage persisted for a long time. However, the name Ichthyophaga actually belongs to a prolecithophoran turbellarian parasite in fish established by Syromiatnikova in 1949. In 2005, a molecular systematic study based on nuclear and mitochondrial genes merged this genus into Haliaeetus . In the same year, Ronald Sluys [ de ] and Masaharu Kawakatsu proposed
14112-424: The golden eagle has wings that are only somewhat more slender but are more hawk -like and lack the flat, plank-like wing positioning seen in the other genus. Large northern Haliaeetus species usually have a larger bill and larger head which protrudes more distinctly than a golden eagle's in flight. The tail of the golden eagle is longer on average than those of Haliaeetus eagles, appearing to be two or three times
14259-679: The golden to rufous nape-shawl of the golden eagle is distinctive from other Aquila . Most other Aquila eagles have darker plumage, although the smaller tawny eagle is often paler than the golden eagle (the overlap in range is verified only in Bale Mountains , Ethiopia ). Among Eurasian Aquila , the adult eastern imperial and Spanish imperial eagle come closest to reaching the size of golden eagles, but both are distinguished by their longer necks, flatter wings in flight, white markings on their shoulder forewing-coverts, paler cream-straw coloured nape patch and generally darker colouration. Juvenile imperial eagles are much paler overall (caramel-cream in
14406-418: The golden, the body of the Verreaux's eagle being slightly longer overall but marginally less heavy and long-winged than the golden eagle's. The plumage is very distinctly different, however, as Verreaux's eagles are almost entirely jet-black except for some striking, contrasting white on the wing primaries, shoulders and upper-wing. This closely related species is known to co-occur with the golden eagle only in
14553-642: The habitat is often of a sparse, desert-like character and is quite similar to the habitat in Middle East and the Arabian peninsula. In Ethiopia's Bale Mountains , where the vegetation is more lush and the climate is clearly less arid than in Northeastern Africa, the golden eagle occupies verdant mountains. The biomes occupied by golden eagles are roughly concurrent with those of Eurasia. In western and northern Alaska and northern Canada to
14700-437: The heraldry of many nations across the world. Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Dagestan, Egypt, Germany, Ghana, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Montenegro, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Palestine, Panama, Russia, Romania, Serbia, South Sudan, Somaliland, the United States of America, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are the nations whose coats of arms feature an eagle. The eagle's continuing significance and worldwide appeal as
14847-406: The incoming light. Like most diurnal raptors, eagles have little ability to see ultraviolet light. The female of all known species of eagles is larger than the male. Eagles normally build their nests, called eyries , in tall trees or on high cliffs. Many species lay two eggs, but the older, larger chick frequently kills its younger sibling once it has hatched. The parents take no action to stop
14994-415: The killing. It is said that eagles fly above clouds but this is not true. Eagles fly during storms and glide from the wind's pressure. This saves the bird's energy. Due to the size and power of many eagle species, they are ranked at the top of the food chain as apex predators in the avian world. The type of prey varies by genus. The Haliaeetus and Icthyophaga eagles prefer to capture fish, though
15141-519: The length of the head in soaring flight, whereas in the other eagles the head is often more than twice the length of the tail. Confusion is most likely between juvenile Haliaeetus and golden eagles, as the adult golden has a more solidly golden-brown coloration and all Haliaeetus eagles have obvious distinctive plumages as adults. Haliaeetus eagles are often heavily streaked in their juvenile phase. Juvenile golden eagles can have large patches of white on their wings and tail that are quite different from
15288-432: The losses". If issued, the permits would last 30 years, six times the current 5-year permits. Human beings have been fascinated by the golden eagle as early as the beginning of recorded history. Most early-recorded cultures regarded the golden eagle with reverence. In pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica , the eagle was a major Mexica ( Aztec ) symbol: the tribal and sun god, Huitzilopochtli , had told his people that when they saw
15435-519: The main position over the course of the next 40 days. The whitish down continues until around 25 days of age, at which point it is gradually replaced by dark contour feathers that eclipse the down and the birds attain a general piebald appearance. After hatching, 80% of food items and 90% of food biomass is captured and brought to the nest by the adult male. Fledging occurs at 66 to 75 days of age in Idaho and 70 to 81 days in Scotland. The first attempted flight departure after fledging can be abrupt, with
15582-465: The name suggests, primarily prey on snakes. Despite filling the niche of a snake eagle, genetic studies suggest that the Madagascar serpent eagle ( Eutriorchis ) is not related to them. Over several decades, a great deal of research has been done on the Snake-eagle's diet, which is mainly made up of reptiles, especially snakes. When it comes to catching snakes, it is generally accepted that
15729-442: The nesting season. Threat displays include undulating flight and aggressive direct flapping flight with exaggerated downstrokes. Most displays by mature golden eagles (67% for males and 76% for females) occur, rather than around the nest, at the edge of their home ranges. In Western Norway, most recorded undulating flight displays occur during the pre-laying period in late winter/early spring. Display flights seem to be triggered by
15876-535: The only other large animals that can access a golden eagle nest without the assistance of man-made climbing equipment) in areas where golden eagles are regularly disturbed at the nest by humans. Jeff Watson believed that common raven occasionally eats golden eagle eggs but only in situations where the parent eagles have abandoned their nesting attempt. However, there are no confirmed accounts of predation by other bird species on golden eagle nests. Occasionally, golden eagles may be killed by their prey in self-defense. There
16023-409: The presence of other golden eagles. The use of display flights has a clear benefit in that it lessens the need for physical confrontations, which can be fatal. Usually, non-breeding birds are treated aggressively by the golden eagle maintaining their home range, normally being chased to the apparent limit of the range but with no actual physical contact. The territorial flight of the adult golden eagle
16170-447: The preying eagle. Authors on birds David Allen Sibley , Pete Dunne , and Clay Sutton described the behavioral difference between hunting eagles and other birds of prey thus (in this case the bald and golden eagles as compared to other North American raptors): They have at least one singular characteristic. It has been observed that most birds of prey look back over their shoulders before striking prey (or shortly thereafter); predation
16317-563: The prior clade via convergent evolution. Genetically, the "spotted eagles" ( A. pomarina , hastata and clanga ), have been discovered to be more closely related to the long-crested eagle ( Lophaetus occipitalis ) and the black eagle ( Ictinaetus malayensis ), and many generic reassignments have been advocated. The genus Hieraaetus , including the booted eagle ( H. pennatus ), little eagle ( H. morphnoides ) and Ayres's hawk-eagle ( H. ayresii ), consists of much smaller species, that are in fact smallest birds called eagles outside of
16464-481: The random, sometimes large and splotchy-looking distribution of white typical of juvenile Haliaeetus . Distinguishing the golden eagle from other Aquila eagles in Eurasia is more difficult. Identification may rely on the golden eagle's relatively long tail and patterns of white or grey on the wings and tail. Unlike golden eagles, other Aquila eagles do not generally fly in a pronounced dihedral. At close range,
16611-420: The range golden eagles have experienced sharp population declines and have even been extirpated from some areas. The number of golden eagles from around the range is estimated to be between 170,000 and 250,000 while the estimates of breeding pairs are from 60,000 to 100,000. It has the largest known range of any member of its family, with a range estimated at 140 million square kilometers. If its taxonomic order
16758-505: The relatively consistently white tail, the white patches on the wing are extremely variable; some juveniles have almost no white visible. Juveniles of less than 12 months of age tend to have the most white in their plumage. By their second summer, the white underwing coverts are usually replaced by a characteristic rusty brown colour. By the third summer, the upper-wing coverts are largely replaced by dark brown feathers, although not all feathers moult at once which leaves many juvenile birds with
16905-457: The remaining 15 or so hours of daylight spent perching or resting. Golden Eagles visit water sources for drinking, bathing, and preening, particularly during summer months. When conditions are heavily anticyclonic , there is less soaring during the day. During winter in Scotland, golden eagles soar frequently in order to scan the environment for carrion. In the more wooded environments of Norway during autumn and winter, much less aerial activity
17052-451: The saturation point in appropriate habitat and apparently violent confrontations are more common than in other parts of the range. Golden eagles may express their aggression via body language while perched, typically the adult female when confronted by an intruding eagle: the head and body are upright, feathers on head and neck are erect; the wings may be slightly spread and beak open; often accompanied by intense gaze. They then often engage in
17199-437: The shell is broken apart in 35 hours. The chick is completely free in 37 hours. In the first 10 days, chicks mainly lie down on the nest substrate. They are capable of preening on their second day but their parents keep them warm until around 20 days. They grow considerably, weighing around 500 g (1.1 lb). They also start sitting up more. Around 20 days of age, the chicks generally start standing, which becomes
17346-511: The smaller Japanese golden eagles, females are only 26% heavier with around 6% longer wings. In the largest subspecies ( A. c. daphanea ), males and females weigh typically 4.05 and 6.35 kg (8.9 and 14.0 lb), respectively. In the smallest subspecies, A. c. japonica , males weigh 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) and females 3.25 kg (7.2 lb). In the species overall, males average around 3.6 kg (7.9 lb) and females around 5.1 kg (11 lb). The maximum size of golden eagles
17493-424: The smaller species of that genus. They share similar plumage, with grey heads grading into dull grey-brown wings and bodies, and white belly and legs. They differ in tail colour, with the lesser fish eagle having a brown tail, and the grey-headed fish eagle having a white tail with a black terminal band, and also in size, with the lesser fish eagle only about half of the weight of the grey-headed fish eagle. The genus
17640-494: The solitary eagles are related to the black hawks and the Philippine eagle to the snake eagles. Major new research into eagle taxonomy suggests that the important genera Aquila and Hieraaetus are not composed of nearest relatives, and it is likely that a reclassification of these genera will soon take place, with some species being moved to Lophaetus or Ictinaetus . Family Accipitridae The modern English term for
17787-468: The southern part of Finland , near the Gulf of Finland , is the town of Kotka , which literally means "eagle", while the town of L'Aquila in the central part of Italy literally means "the eagle". In Britain before 1678, eagle referred specifically to the golden eagle , with the other native species, the white-tailed eagle , being known as erne . The modern name "golden eagle" for aquila chrysaetos
17934-403: The species and genera, with some individual eagles having engaged in quite varied techniques based on their environment and prey at any given time. Most eagles grab prey without landing and take flight with it, so the prey can be carried to a perch and torn apart. The bald eagle is noted for having flown with the heaviest load verified to be carried by any flying bird, since one eagle flew with
18081-528: The species in the former often capture various animals, especially other water birds , and are powerful kleptoparasites of other birds. The snake and serpent eagles of the genera Circaetus , Terathopius , and Spilornis predominantly prey on the great diversity of snakes found in the tropics of Africa and Asia. The eagles of the genus Aquila are often the top birds of prey in open habitats, taking almost any medium-sized vertebrate they can catch. Where Aquila eagles are absent, other eagles, such as
18228-705: The species nests near the tree line and hunt subalpine and alpine pastures , grassland and heath above. Golden eagles also occur in moderately mountainous habitat along the Mediterranean Sea , from the Iberian Peninsula and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco , to Greece , Turkey and Iraq . This area is characterized by low mountains, Mediterranean maquis vegetation , and sub-temperate open woodland. The local pine - oak vegetation, with
18375-433: The spring; they are monogamous and may remain together for several years or possibly for life. Females lay up to four eggs , and then incubate them for six weeks. Typically, one or two young survive to fledge in about three months. These juvenile golden eagles usually attain full independence in the fall, after which they wander widely until establishing a territory for themselves in four to five years. Once widespread across
18522-472: The subfamily Circaetinae . The fish eagles, booted eagles, and harpy eagles have traditionally been placed in the subfamily Buteoninae together with the buzzard-hawks (buteonine hawks) and harriers. Some authors may treat these groups as tribes of the Buteoninae; Lerner & Mindell proposed separating the eagle groups into their own subfamilies of Accipitridae . Sea eagles or fish eagles take fish as
18669-596: The subspecies are somewhat variable and the differences between the subspecies are clinal , especially in terms of body size. Other than these characteristics, there is little variation across the range of the species. Some recent studies have gone so far as to propose that only two subspecies be recognized based on genetic markers: Aquila chrysaetos chrysaetos (including A. c. homeyeri ) and A. c. canadensis (including A. c. japonica , A. c. daphanea and A. c. kamtschatica ). The larger Middle Pleistocene golden eagles of France (and possibly elsewhere) are referred to
18816-537: The suggestion of Ernest Williams and Lucy Bunkley-Williams, conserved both the bird genus Icthyophaga and the turbellarian genus Ichthyophaga in Case 3603. In 2023, based on latest molecular systematic studies, the International Ornithologists' Union resurrected Icthyophaga with its right name and transferred four species from Haliaeetus to this genus. Therefore, this genus now includes
18963-624: The sun (i.e., Huitzilopochtli) in the form of an eagle perched on a cactus whose fruit was red and shaped like a human heart, there they should build their city, Tenochtitlan . The scene—shown on a well-known sculpture, in early manuscripts, and on the present-day Mexican flag—surely had astronomical and geomantic, as well as mythological meaning. It was only after the Industrial Revolution , when sport-hunting became widespread and commercial stock farming became internationally common, that humans started to widely regard golden eagles as
19110-503: The tail and often have white markings on the wings. Golden eagles use their agility and speed combined with powerful feet and large, sharp talons to hunt a variety of prey, mainly hares , rabbits , and marmots and other ground squirrels . Golden eagles maintain home ranges or territories that may be as large as 200 km (77 sq mi). They build large nests in cliffs and other high places to which they may return for several breeding years. Most breeding activities take place in
19257-415: The time they were 5 years old. Near a wind turbine facility in west-central California, estimated survival rates, based on conventional telemetry of 257 individuals, were 84% for first-year eagles, 79% for 1- to 3-year-olds and adult floaters and 91% for breeders; with no difference in survival rates between sexes. Survival rates may be lower for migrating populations of golden eagles. A 19–34% survival rate
19404-569: The traditional species has been questioned. Traditionally, the Aquila eagles have been grouped superficially as largish, mainly brownish or dark-colored booted eagles that vary little in transition from their juvenile to their adult plumages. Genetic research has recently indicated the golden eagle is included in a clade with Verreaux's eagle in Africa as well as the Gurney's eagle ( A. gurneyi ) and
19551-441: The unrelated Spilornis serpent-eagle genus. This genus has recently been eliminated by many authorities and is now occasionally also included in Aquila , although not all ornithological unions have followed this suit in this re-classification. The small-bodied Wahlberg's eagle ( H. wahlbergi ) has been traditionally considered a Aquila species due to its lack of change from juvenile to adult plumage and brownish color but it
19698-474: The upper part of each scapular feather tract . The bill is dark at the tip, fading to a lighter horn colour, with a yellow cere . As in many accipitrids , the bare portion of the feet is yellow. There are subtle differences in colouration among subspecies, described below . Juvenile golden eagles are similar to adults but tend to be darker, appearing black on the back especially in East Asia . They have
19845-667: The use of pesticides have contributed to the species' rapid population drop. The booted eagle is a group of eagle that typically migrates across the Sahara Desert to Europe. It usually reaches Europe around the beginning of March and leaves by the end of September. It's interesting to note that these types of eagles usually mate with the same partner and return to the same areas years later. Female booted eagles usually lay 1-4 eggs, which promptly hatch after 37 to 40 days. Researchers estimate that there are between 3600 and 6900 pairs of booted eagles in Europe, which are mostly situated in
19992-745: The vegetation varies a bit more, similar habitat is occupied by golden eagles in Mexico. However, golden eagles are typically absent in North America from true deserts, like the Sonora Desert , where annual precipitation is less than 20 cm (7.9 in). Golden eagles occupy the mountains and coastal areas of California and Baja California in Mexico where hot, dry summers and moist winters are typical. The golden eagles here often nest in chaparral and oak woodland, oak savanna and grassland amongst low rolling hill typified by diverse vegetation. In
20139-456: The very large harpy eagle , have relatively short wingspans, a feature necessary for being able to maneuver in quick, short bursts through densely forested habitats. Eagles in the genus Aquila , found almost exclusively in open country, are noted for their ability to soar, and have relatively long wings for their size. These lists of the top five eagles are based on weight, length, and wingspan, respectively. Unless otherwise noted by reference,
20286-429: The wings. American golden eagles are typically somewhat smaller than the large Eurasian species, but a massive female that was banded and released in 2006 around Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest became the heaviest wild golden eagle on record, at 7.7 kg (17 lb). Captive birds have been measured with a wingspan of 2.81 m (9 ft 3 in) and a mass of 12.1 kg (27 lb), though this mass
20433-404: The year. In Scotland, among all recovered, banded golden eagles (36 out of 1000, the rest mostly died or disappeared) the average distance between ringing and recovery was 44 km (27 mi), averaging 63 km (39 mi) in juveniles and 36 km (22 mi) in older birds. In the dry Southwestern United States , golden eagles tend to move to higher elevations once the breeding season
20580-452: The young jumping off and using a series of short, stiff wing-beats to glide downward or being blown out of nest while wing-flapping. 18 to 20 days after first fledging, the young eagles will take their first circling flight, but they cannot gain height as efficiently as their parents until approximately 60 days after fledging. In Cumbria , young golden eagles were first seen hunting large prey 59 days after fledging. 75 to 85 days after fledging,
20727-477: The young were largely independent of parents. Generally, breeding success seems to be greatest where prey is available in abundance. Golden eagles are fairly long-living birds in natural conditions if they survive their first few years. The survival rate of raptorial birds tends to increase with larger body size, with a 30–50% annual loss of population rate in small falcons/accipiters, a 15–25% loss of population rate in medium-sized hawks (e.g., Buteo s or kites) and
20874-513: Was established by René-Primevère Lesson in 1843, to accommodate a single species, the grey-headed fish eagle , which is therefore considered as the type species . Lesson used two spellings for its name: I c thyophaga and I c thy io phaga , but not I ch thyophaga . Traditionally, this genus was believed to include two species: the lesser fish eagle and the grey-headed fish eagle . Erwin Stresemann and Dean Amadon mistakenly referred to
21021-454: Was estimated for juvenile eagles from Denali National Park in their first 11 months. The average life expectancy of golden eagles in Germany is 13 years, extrapolated from a reported mere 92.5% survival rate. Natural sources of mortality are largely reported in anecdotes. On rare occasions, golden eagles have been killed by competing predators or by hunting mammalian carnivores, including
21168-519: Was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae as Falco chrysaetos . Since birds were grouped largely on superficial characteristics at that time, many species were grouped by Linnaeus into the genus Falco . The type locality was given simply as "Europa"; it was later restricted to Sweden. It was moved to the new genus Aquila by French ornithologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760. Aquila
21315-461: Was for an eagle bred for falconry , which tend to be unnaturally heavy. The standard measurements of the species include a wing chord length of 52–72 cm (20–28 in), a tail length of 26.5–38 cm (10.4–15.0 in) and a tarsus length of 9.4–12.2 cm (3.7–4.8 in). The culmen (upper ridge of beak) reportedly averages around 4.5 cm (1.8 in), with a range of 3.6 to 5 cm (1.4 to 2.0 in). The bill length from
21462-586: Was introduced by the naturalist John Ray . The village of Eagle in Lincolnshire , England , has nothing to do with the bird; its name is derived from the Old English words for "oak" and "wood" (compare Oakley ). In the ancient Sumerian mythology , the mythical king Etana was said to have been carried into heaven by an eagle. Classical writers such as Lucan and Pliny the Elder claimed that
21609-501: Was observed on an extremely cold winter's night in eastern Idaho when 124 individuals were observed perched closely along a line of 85 power poles. Most populations of golden eagles are sedentary, but the species is actually a partial migrant . Golden eagles are very hardy species, being well adapted to cold climates, however they cannot abide declining available food sources in the northern stretches of their range. Eagles raised at latitudes greater than 60° N are usually migratory, though
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