| Description |
dark brown feathers covering the body in both adults and juveniles; adults have copper-gold feathers on the back of the neck; immature birds have white patches under the wings and a white band on the tail, which gradually disappears as the birds mature; the legs are feathered all the way to their talons |
| Sex |
females usually larger than males |
| Age |
up to 38 years in the wild, up to 50 years in captivity |
| Length |
30-40" |
| Wingspan |
6-7' |
| Weight |
7-13 lbs. |
| Habitat |
mountainous regions, open lands, hardwood forests, deserts |
| Status |
|
| Range |
mid-Canada south into Mexico; west from Colorado to the Pacific Ocean; also found in extreme Northeastâ??New Brunswick, Nova Scotia; winter range may extend as far south as Tennessee and east to the Atlantic; also found on many other continents |
| Behavior |
pairs may successfully nest together for as long as twenty years; nests are built on cliff sides and in trees; constructed of large sticks, nests are lined with grasses, twigs and evergreen; same nest may be used every year with repairs and additions; normally, two eggs laid between March and May which are incubated for 41-45 days; eggs are white with brown or purple splotches; eaglets fledge 9-11 weeks later, but do not reach adulthood for about 5 years |
| Diet |
rabbits, groundhogs, prairie dogs, turkey, grouse, waterfowl, smaller raptors, carrion |
| Vocalization |
series of low, hoarse "kaks;" moderately loud series of sharp, rapid "chips" |
| Other Information |
- Golden Eagles have been persecuted by man, in the belief that the birds prey on livestock. In reality, they remove the dead and the dying from the herds, or are seen feeding on carrion which they are mistakenly believed to have killed. |
