Golden eagle
The golden eagle is a large bird of prey found primarily in North America, Europe, and parts of Africa and Asia. Known for its remarkable diving speed of up to 95 miles per hour, this eagle typically inhabits open regions like mountains, moors, forests, and wetlands, where it can spot prey with its excellent eyesight. Golden eagles are distinguished by their impressive wingspan of six to seven feet and their striking plumage, which can appear golden in sunlight. Historically, they have been significant in various cultures; for instance, Indigenous communities in North America used their feathers in ceremonial warbonnets, while in Great Britain, kings trained them for hunting small game like hares and gamebirds.
Despite their majestic presence, golden eagles face numerous challenges today, including habitat destruction and chemical poisoning from environmental pollutants. Reports indicate that a significant percentage of golden eagles suffer from lead poisoning, often as a result of scavenging on animals killed by human hunters. They typically have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years in the wild, potentially extending to 40-45 years in captivity. During their breeding season, which spans from March to July, female golden eagles lay two eggs, but competition for food often leads to the starvation of the second chick. Nevertheless, golden eagles are not currently classified as a threatened species.
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Golden eagle
The golden eagle is one of two eagles to breed in North America; the other is the bald eagle. It is a large bird of prey which is able to dive upon its prey at 95 miles (150 kilometers) per hour. Golden eagles can also be found throughout Europe and in parts of Africa and Asia.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Aquila
Species: Chrysaetos
In the past in North America, some Indigenous communities of the Great Plains were known to have used the feathers of golden eagles in their warbonnets. In Great Britain, kings used to hunt with golden eagles. It was illegal for anyone else to have or to hunt with a golden eagle. The eagles were trained to hunt for hares, which are similar to rabbits. Other small animals they caught for the kings were young foxes, mink, and gamebirds, such as grouse and ptarmigan. The golden eagle has continued to hunt all of these creatures and also eats lizards and snakes, and scavenges for carrion, or the flesh of dead animals. Although the kings used to hunt with golden eagles, and wild eagles had plenty to eat, today the situation is different. Today some people continue to hunt the golden eagles in other parts of the world, and many eagles face the threat of habitat destruction. Another danger has been the use of insecticides and other chemicals. The chemicals pollute the environment and poison the eagles' prey. The poison then enters the bodily systems of the eagles and kills them or causes them not to be able to raise chicks. As a result, the eagles cannot lay eggs, or their eggshells are too thin and break before the young hatches. Even though the United States government protects the eagles, the population still is low due to hunting and the chemical poisoning. In 2022, the journal Science examined golden eagle populations in thirty-eight US states and reported that 47 percent of the examined golden eagles had lead poisoning. Researchers attributed this to the scavenging nature of golden eagles, who often eat the remains of animals killed by human hunters whose corpses contain lead bullet fragments. If ingested, the toxic lead travels through the blood stream and the liver of the eagle, before building up in the bones. The study also revealed that 46 percent of bald eagles showed signs of lead poisoning. The study argued that lead poisoning will be a key risk factor in the development of the golden eagle population—one that was on the brink of extinction in the 1960s.
Golden eagles are 2 1/2 to 3 feet (75 to 90 centimeters) long and weigh up to 13 pounds (six kilograms). Their wingspan is impressive at six or seven feet (around two meters). Large, glossy feathers in shades of black, brown, and white cover the eagles' bodies. Some of its plumage, or feathering, appears golden in the sunlight. Large, hooked talons and a sharp, hooked beak are its tools for killing, holding, and tearing apart its prey.
The habitats of golden eagles are mountains, moors, forests, and wetlands. They are at home in wide open regions where there are few places for prey to hide. Such conditions mean, too, that they can soar easily and see their prey clearly with their excellent eyesight. The territories which they defend and over which they soar may be up to 200 square miles (520 square kilometers). They are able to dive and seize their prey at speeds of nearly 95 miles (150 kilometers) per hour.
The aeries, or nests, of golden eagles rest high on rocky ledges, cliffs, or in suitable trees. They use these nests year after year and add to them so that the nests become quite large. Some nesting sites have been used for hundreds of years. Golden eagles may live alone or in pairs.
Between March and July is the mating season. The male dives and soars through the air to attract his mate. After mating, the female lays two brown-marked, white eggs in the nest, laying the second one a few days after the first one. Incubation lasts for 43 to 45 days. Because the female begins incubating the eggs as soon as she lays them, the egg which she lays first, hatches first. Unfortunately, the second eagle chick usually starves because of competition for food or because its older sibling kills it. About two or 2 1/2 months after hatching, the eagle chick spreads its wings at the edge of the aerie and fledges, or flies for the first time. Within four or five years the chick is able to have its own territory and to mate. Without being disturbed or harmed, the eagle may live to mate each year for 15 to 20 years. In captivity the life span of golden eagles has been 40 to 45 years. Despite the challenges golden eagles face, they are not a threatened species.
Bibliography
"Golden Eagle." All About Birds, 2019, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden‗Eagle/overview. Accessed 8 Mar. 2022.
Kaufman, Ken. "Golden Eagle." Audubon, www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/golden-eagle. Accessed 4 Mar. 2022.
Slabe, Vincent A., et al. “Demographic Implications of Lead Poisoning for Eagles across North America.” Science, vol. 375, no. 6582, 2022, pp. 779–82, doi:10.1126/science.abj3068. Accessed 4 Mar. 2022.