Animalia > Chordata > Aves > Accipitriformes > Accipitridae > Aquila > Aquila chrysaetos

Aquila chrysaetos (Golden Eagle)

Synonyms: Aquila chrysaetus; Aquila fulva; Falco chrysaetos (homotypic); Falco fulvus
Language: French; Spanish

Wikipedia Abstract

The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is one of the best-known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. 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 massive, sharp talons to snatch up a variety of prey (mainly hares, rabbits, marmots and other ground squirrels).
View Wikipedia Record: Aquila chrysaetos

Infraspecies

Aquila chrysaetos canadensis (American golden eagle)
Aquila chrysaetos chrysaetos (Eurasian golden eagle)
Aquila chrysaetos daphanea
Aquila chrysaetos homeyeri
Aquila chrysaetos japonica
Aquila chrysaetos kamtschatica
Aquila chrysaetos leucocephalus

EDGE Analysis

Uniqueness Scale: Similiar (0) 
3
 Unique (100)
Uniqueness & Vulnerability Scale: Similiar & Secure (0) 
22
 Unique & Vulnerable (100)
ED Score: 8.23642
EDGE Score: 2.22315
Learn more at EDGE of Existence programme

Attributes

Adult Weight [1]  9.663 lbs (4.383 kg)
Birth Weight [3]  111 grams
Female Weight [6]  10.201 lbs (4.627 kg)
Male Weight [6]  8.598 lbs (3.90 kg)
Weight Dimorphism [6]  18.6 %
Breeding Habitat [2]  Generalist
Wintering Geography [2]  Western U.S./Mexico
Wintering Habitat [2]  Generalist, Agricultural
Diet [4]  Carnivore (Vertebrates)
Diet - Ectothermic [4]  10 %
Diet - Endothermic [4]  80 %
Diet - Scavenger [4]  10 %
Forages - Ground [4]  100 %
Clutch Size [7]  2
Clutches / Year [3]  1
Fledging [5]  75 days
Global Population (2017 est.) [2]  300,000
Incubation [3]  40 days
Mating Display [8]  Non-acrobatic aerial display
Mating System [8]  Monogamy
Maximum Longevity [3]  48 years
Raptor Research Conservation Priority [9]  164
Snout to Vent Length [5]  31 inches (78 cm)
Speed [10]  26.619 MPH (11.9 m/s)
Wing Span [10]  6.658 feet (2.03 m)
Female Maturity [3]  4 years
Male Maturity [3]  4 years

Ecoregions

Protected Areas

+ Click for partial list (100)Full list (1125)

Ecosystems

Important Bird Areas

Biodiversity Hotspots

Emblem of

Albania
Scotland

Prey / Diet

Prey / Diet Overlap

Consumers

Range Map

External References

NatureServe Explorer

Citations

Attributes / relations provided by
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♦ 5Nathan P. Myhrvold, Elita Baldridge, Benjamin Chan, Dhileep Sivam, Daniel L. Freeman, and S. K. Morgan Ernest. 2015. An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96:3109
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♦ 7Jetz W, Sekercioglu CH, Böhning-Gaese K (2008) The Worldwide Variation in Avian Clutch Size across Species and Space PLoS Biol 6(12): e303. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0060303
♦ 8Terje Lislevand, Jordi Figuerola, and Tamás Székely. 2007. Avian body sizes in relation to fecundity, mating system, display behavior, and resource sharing. Ecology 88:1605
♦ 9Buechley ER, Santangeli A, Girardello M, et al. Global raptor research and conservation priorities: Tropical raptors fall prey to knowledge gaps. Divers Distrib. 2019;25:856–869. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12901
♦ 10Alerstam T, Rosén M, Bäckman J, Ericson PGP, Hellgren O (2007) Flight Speeds among Bird Species: Allometric and Phylogenetic Effects. PLoS Biol 5(8): e197. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0050197
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♦ 36International Flea Database
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Ecoregions provided by World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF). WildFinder: Online database of species distributions, ver. 01.06 Wildfinder Database
Biodiversity Hotspots provided by Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund
Abstract provided by DBpedia licensed under a Creative Commons License
Species taxanomy provided by GBIF Secretariat (2022). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-06-13; License: CC BY 4.0