Species Spotlight: Golden Eagle

Scientific Name: Aquilla chrysaetos

Other Names: Mountain eagle, American war bird, calumet eagle, king of birds, royal eagle, bird of Jupiter, among others.

Appearance: final adult plumage comes in the 6th year of life, up until then the plumage is constantly changing. Overall and regardless of age, the Golden Eagle has a handsome large, powerful build, long strong legs and feet that are about the size of a human hand. The nape of the neck is covered with light tan feathers (giving a golden appearance) the rest of the body is a dark, chocolate brown. Eyes are a dark brown and very clear. Bill and talons are black, yellow cere. Mature Goldens generally have a dark tail with grey bands and large dark terminal band, although there are some adults that have some vestiges of white in their tails. Immature Goldens (less than 5 years old) have a large white band on their tail from their rump to the dark terminal outer band, the size of the white band and the extent of the dark mottling gives an indication of the bird’s age. A true master in the air, Golden Eagles can soar gracefully for hours, even in strong winds that make other birds find shelter. Wings are long and rounded, wingbeats are slow and powerful. Legs are feathered down to the

toes.

Size: Very large, soars with wings flat. Males weigh on average 8-10 pounds, females weigh on average 9-13 pounds. Length is 30 - 40 inches long, wing span is between 6 ½ to 7 ½ feet, females average larger than the males.

Range & Habitat: prefers mountainous areas, above 1500 feet. In the east, the Golden Eagle can be found from Quebec southward down the mountain chains to Tennessee and North Carolina, also found in mountainous regions of the western US and Canada.

Food Preferences: favorite food is rabbits, also very fond of grouse, marmots, ground squirrels, ptarmigans. Will eat fresh carrion. Has been known to eat small mammals, snakes, turtles, great horned owls, cranes, geese, deer,

antelope, and even occasionally insects.

Hunting Technique: hunts while soaring, sometimes will sit on a perch then fly after a food source. Average wing speed while gliding and flapping is around 35 mph, has been clocked diving out of the sky after prey at over 200 mph. May hunt solo or in pairs.

Breeding & Nesting: Monogamous for life, stay together during entire year. Both build the stick nest, which is often found well isolated on a deep cliff face or in a high tree and is added to yearly, however Goldens are also known to

alternate nest sites. Old records show nests as large as - 6 feet in diameter and 4 -5 feet high. Nest sticks are interwoven with leaves and aromatic twigs, lined with fine materials. Male feeds the female at the nest and may nest-sit for short periods of time during the day to give the female a break. 2 eggs, incubation lasts around 43 days, older nestling often kills younger. Chicks are beginning to fly 65 - 70 days after hatching, and stay dependent on the parents for at least another month. Golden Eagles have a life span of 30 - 50 years.

Status: Nesting status in WV is uncertain. Sightings are unusual, but seem to be increasing in number. Golden Eagles have historically been in WV for as long as records have been kept, declines came from pesticide use, habitat loss and human disturbance.

NOTES: Golden Eagles are members of the soaring hawk family Buteoninae. They are distinguished from the rest of the family (which includes red tailed hawks, red shouldered hawks and broad wing hawks, among others) by their

large size and proportionally longer wings to their body size.

They are usually silent, but have several whistle calls, quieter begging calls and several other sounds that are difficult to describe, but are fairly quiet overall. They are highly intelligent!