Golden eagle
A dark brown eagle with golden neck feathers that hunts rabbits and hares across open country, nesting on cliffs in Denali, Death Valley, and Great Basin.
Golden eagle at a glance
Aquila chrysaetos GOHL-den EE-gul; Aquila chrysaetos is uh-KWIL-uh krih-SAY-tos
- Type
- Bird · raptor
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Size
- Its wings stretch about 6 to 7 feet across, close to the height of a tall grown-up, and it weighs up to about 13 pounds, like a medium-sized dog.
- Lifespan
- Around 20 to 30 years in the wild.
- Conservation
- Least concern
Eats rabbits, hares, ground squirrels, marmots, ptarmigan
A golden eagle hunts live prey, diving from the sky to catch animals like hares and ground squirrels with its feet. In Denali, snowshoe hares and ptarmigan are its main spring food.
Should you worry?
A golden eagle will not come after a person. It is shy and hunts small animals in open country. If you find a nest on a cliff, stay far back so you do not scare the parents off their eggs, and watch through binoculars instead of climbing closer.
The golden eagle gets its name from the back of its head, where a wash of golden-brown feathers catches the light when the sun hits it. The rest of the bird is dark brown, its wings span six to seven feet, close to the height of a tall grown-up, and it hunts across open ground, dropping from the sky to take a hare or a ground squirrel with its feet. It is easy to tell apart from a bald eagle: no white head, no fish, and a taste for animals that live on the land.
Denali is one of the best places in North America to find one. At least 95 pairs set up territories along the northern foothills of the Alaska Range each spring, and there they live on snowshoe hares and ptarmigan while they raise their young on the cliffs. The young birds are travelers. A single spring migration can carry a Denali eagle somewhere between 1,200 and 3,000 miles, and it does the work the easy way, riding columns of warm rising air in the middle of the day.
A golden eagle is shy of people and will not come after anyone. The care goes to the nest. A cliff nest with eggs is easy to spook, and a parent frightened off can lose the clutch, so the move is to stay far back and watch through binoculars rather than climb toward it.
Did you know?
- Denali has one of the highest numbers of nesting golden eagles in North America, with at least 95 pairs setting up territories along the northern foothills of the Alaska Range each spring.
- Young golden eagles from Denali fly enormous distances. Their spring trip can cover 1,200 to 3,000 miles, riding warm rising air in the middle of the day when the flying is easiest.
- Its name comes from the golden-brown feathers on the back of its head and neck, which shine when the sun hits them.
Common questions
Are golden eagles dangerous to kids?
No. They are shy and hunt small animals like rabbits and squirrels. Just keep your distance from their cliff nests.
What is the difference between a golden eagle and a bald eagle?
A bald eagle has a white head and tail and mostly eats fish. A golden eagle is dark brown with golden neck feathers and hunts rabbits, hares, and other land animals.
What do golden eagles eat?
Mostly rabbits, hares, ground squirrels, marmots, and birds like ptarmigan. They dive from the sky to catch them.
Where can I see a golden eagle?
In wide-open country and mountains. Denali in Alaska has many nesting pairs, and they also live in desert parks like Death Valley and Great Basin.