Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Where is it found?
Mountains
Diet and foraging method
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Eagles primarily hunt from the air by diving and ambushing prey, but if that fails, they will pursue their prey and chase after them. They also scavenge for carrion like deer carcasses.
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Key adaptations
Large, sharp talons for holding and dismembering prey.
Sharp, pointed beak for using as a weapon to kill prey quickly and also useful for tearing meat off carcasses.
Sharp, pointed beak for using as a weapon to kill prey quickly and also useful for tearing meat off carcasses.
Social organisation and mating system
Solitary
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Form socially monogamous breeding pairs. The pair bond often lasts for life and pairs usually return to the same nest every year.
Did you know that...?
Golden Eagles can reach speeds of almost 200 miles an hour when diving for prey and partaking in aerial dances during courtship.
Golden Eagles are North America's largest bird of prey.
Golden Eagles only known predators are Grizzly Bears and Wolverines.
Golden Eagles are North America's largest bird of prey.
Golden Eagles only known predators are Grizzly Bears and Wolverines.
Taxonomy
Sources:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden_Eagle/lifehistory
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_eagle
http://www.arkive.org/golden-eagle/aquila-chrysaetos/
http://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Aquila_chrysaetos.html
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Golden Eagle 3" by Juan Lacruz - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_Eagle_3.jpg#/media/File:Golden_Eagle_3.jpg
"Golden-eagle-4" by William H. Majoros - Own work. Licenced under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden-eagle-4.jpg#/media/File:Golden-eagle-4.jpg
"Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)" by Chuck Abbe - originally posted to Flickr as Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_Eagle_(Aquila_chrysaetos).jpg#/media/File:Golden_Eagle_(Aquila_chrysaetos).jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_eagle
http://www.arkive.org/golden-eagle/aquila-chrysaetos/
http://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Aquila_chrysaetos.html
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Golden Eagle 3" by Juan Lacruz - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_Eagle_3.jpg#/media/File:Golden_Eagle_3.jpg
"Golden-eagle-4" by William H. Majoros - Own work. Licenced under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden-eagle-4.jpg#/media/File:Golden-eagle-4.jpg
"Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)" by Chuck Abbe - originally posted to Flickr as Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_Eagle_(Aquila_chrysaetos).jpg#/media/File:Golden_Eagle_(Aquila_chrysaetos).jpg
