Golden Eagle Size report

The Golden eagle (scientific name: Aquila chrysaetos) belongs to the eagle family. The golden eagle is the most famous raptor in the northern hemisphere and the most widely distributed species in the eagle family.

The golden eagle is famous for its agile flying ability and feeds on medium and large birds and beasts. Distributed in the northern hemisphere's temperate, subarctic, and cold regions, golden eagles inhabit various environments such as forests, grasslands, and deserts. In winter, they often go to the lower mountains and hills and the plains at the foot of the mountains. During the breeding season, it nests in the depressions of valley cliffs, occasionally on tall trees.

Golden eagles are easily recognizable, but people can usually see them soaring high in the sky from a distance. These hawks are dark brown with light golden brown feathers on the nape of their necks. Young eagles of this species usually have white on the tail and white patches on the wings. This post introduces more interesting facts about these fastest eagles, such as how they live and how big they are.

Golden Eagle Size and Appearance

Golden eagles are androgynous. The head and neck of the juvenile golden eagles are yellow-brown; the bases of the flight feathers on both wings are white except for the three outermost ones, and the rest of the body is dark brown; the tails are off-white, and the tips of the feathers are black. Adult individuals have no white wings and tails, and the feathers on the head and neck turn a golden brown. Its tarsus and metatarsus are all covered with feathers. And the feet have three toes facing forward and one toe facing backward. The toes have thick, long horny claws that are as sharp as ligers. The claws on the inner and back toe are sharper. Huge wings are also one of its powerful weapons.

Average Size of Golden Eagle

The golden eagle is a very large bird of prey with a body length of 66 to 100 cm (26 - 40 inches). Their wings are broad, spanning 1.8 to 2.5 meters (5 ft 11 in --7 ft 8 in). The wingspan of the golden eagle ranks fifth among the existing species of eagles. With those massive wings, it's no surprise that golden eagles can fly far distances. Golden eagles weigh up to 13-15 pounds, regardless of sex. In captivity, there have been larger individuals, often used in falconry. Females are generally larger than males, with greater regional variation in size in the larger subspecies.

Living Habits

Golden eagles often perch on rocky cliffs in high mountains and tall trees in open areas to observe the surrounding conditions. They usually move alone or in pairs and sometimes form smaller groups in winter; occasionally, large groups of about 20 can be seen. Golden eagles are good at soaring and gliding. They often glide in a straight line or circle in a circle at high altitudes while looking down at the ground to look for prey. They control the direction, height, speed, and attitude through subtle adjustments of their wings and tail. After finding the target, the golden eagle will fold its wings and dive at a very high speed, and at the last moment, it will stretch its wings to slow down while firmly grasping the prey. When chasing food, they can reach up to 200 kilometers per hour.

Reproduction

Golden eagles may have homes or territories as large as 200 square kilometers (77 square miles). They nest on cliffs and other high places and may reproduce for several years. Most breeding activities take place in spring. They are monogamous and can live together for years or even a lifetime. The female lays up to 4 eggs; the incubation time is about 6 weeks. Typically, only half of the young eaglets survive. These young golden eagles usually gain full independence in the fall, after which they will roam around until they have established a territory for themselves in four to five years.

Final Words

The golden eagle has been one of the most popular birds in falconry for centuries. With agility and speed, a strong grip, and sharp claws, golden eagles capture various prey, mainly hares, rabbits, squirrels, etc. Due to their hunting abilities, golden eagles are considered to have great mystical value in some ancient tribal cultures. It is one of the world's most widespread partial raptor species and is common in the western United States and northern China.