Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is a common kites, old world vultures, eagles, and hawk found in 74 countries, weighing about 4.2 kg. The golden eagle is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere.
About the Golden Eagle
The golden eagle 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 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.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Voice: While many accipitrids are not known for their strong voices, golden eagles have a particular tendency for silence, even while breeding. That being said, some vocalization has been recorded, usually centering around the nesting period.
What the Golden Eagle sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Netherlands, Belgium, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Mauritania, Lebanon, Syria.
When to see it
The Golden Eagle can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Watch the Golden Eagle on live cams
Browse all 118 bird cams worldwide, live and seasonal, by region and species.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Golden Eagle?
- Voice: While many accipitrids are not known for their strong voices, golden eagles have a particular tendency for silence, even while breeding. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Golden Eagle?
- The Golden Eagle is a huge sized bird weighing about 4.2 kg.
- Where can you see a Golden Eagle?
- The Golden Eagle occurs in 74 countries, including the United States, Sweden, France, Canada and Spain.
- What does a Golden Eagle sound like?
- You can listen to a field recording of the Golden Eagle on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Golden Eagle?
- The Golden Eagle is most easily confused with the Wedge-tailed Eagle, the Bonelli's Eagle and the Tawny Eagle.
- Is the Golden Eagle endangered?
- The Golden Eagle is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Golden Eagle for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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