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Today on Animal Fact Files, we’re discussing golden eagles. Don’t forget to subscribe to the channel to stay up to date on animal fact episodes! Golden eagles are the largest bird of prey in North America, and they hold the honor of representing many different countries as their national animal. Golden eagles occur in the northern hemisphere throughout North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. They get their name from their golden head and neck feathers, and in North America they are often mixed up with their similar looking cousin, the bald eagle, in its juvenile plumage. As we discussed in our episode on bald eagles, juvenile bald eagles don’t have the characteristic “bald” head of their adult conspecifics. It’s not unusual for someone to mislabel a juvenile bald eagle as a golden eagle, but there are a few distinctions that can be made to separate the two. Location can be quite important, as golden eagles are only commonly seen in the western US - the eastern US is considered a migration area and golden eagles are typically only found there during winter months. Also, golden eagles have furry legs all the way down to their feet - bald eagles are more risque by showing off their ankles. Either way, seeing one of these birds in the wild can be awe inspiring.

Golden eagles are acrobats of the air and can dive 150 miles per hour (241.4kmh) to catch prey. Although these birds are able to catch and kill larger animals such as deer and foxes, they more commonly take smaller prey items such as hares, squirrels, and prairie dogs. I feel like we should just be thankful they don’t generally go after larger prey items, because I’m pretty sure those talons would rip right through our soft fleshy bodies. Just sayin’. Golden eagles also fend off wolverines and grizzly bears trying to take young from their nests - though sometimes they aren’t successful.

Golden eagles also perform aerobic stunts during mating season. It’s thought that golden eagles stick with the same partner, perhaps even for life, and oftentimes the males will perform feats to attract his lady’s attention. The female will join him and they’ll make dives together in the air. Golden eagle nests are built by both parents usually high up on cliffsides or in large trees. A couple will often reuse a nest each year - though they may have many nests throughout their territory. The female will lay one to four eggs over the course of a few days and the chicks will develop under the incubation of both parents. They’ll begin flying within about three to four months. The young eagles will leave to find their own territory defending it fiercely. Golden eagles aren’t exactly neighborly and will attack an intruder within their home range. They can live to be more than 30 years old.

The best place for a golden eagle is a wide, open area with hills, cliffs, or sporadic tall trees for perching. Golden eagles will survey the land for potential prey items, able to turn their head as much as an owl (270 degrees). Unlike owls, however, golden eagles have pretty crummy night vision, and are thus generally diurnal. Their prey of small mammals helped protect golden eagles from the eggshell softening effects of DDT seen in many other bird species, however, they have been observed with high levels of lead in their blood because they’ll opportunistically consume carcasses left riddled with a hunter’s bullets. Golden eagles have also been pursued by humans because they’re thought to be a menace to livestock, but research has shown that these birds rarely take livestock as prey items - they’d rather eat rabbits.

In Greek mythology, the golden eagle is seen as Zeus’s companion and messenger; in medieval Europe their were viewed as royal birds whose use should be reserved for the king; and native American tribes often saw golden eagles as the eagle of war who represented courage in battle. They might be mighty, but... they’re still burbs.

For more facts on golden eagles, check out the links in the description. Give a thumbs up for raptors, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!