Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
Distribution
At one time, the Golden Eagle lived in temperate Europe, North Asia, North America, North Africa and Japan. In most areas this bird is now a mountain-dweller, but in former centuries it also bred in the plains and the forests. In recent years it has started to breed in lowland areas again (Sweden, Denmark).
Golden Eagle swooping down to land
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Golden Eagle swooping down to land
There was a great decline in Central Europe, and the Golden Eagle is now restricted to the higher central Appennine regions of Italy (Regional capital of Abruzzo is named after the latin/Italian word for eagle, L’Aquila) source, and the Alps. In Britain, there are about 420 pairs left in the Scottish highlands, and between 1969 and 2004 they bred in the English Lake District. In North America the situation is not as dramatic, but there has still been a noticeable decline.
In Central Asia, Golden Eagles sometimes are trained for falconry, and in Kazakhstan there are still hunters using these eagles in order to catch deer and antelopes.
Efforts are being made to re-introduce the species in Ireland, where they had been extinct since the early 20th Century. Thirty-five birds have been released into the wild since 2001.
Reproduction
A pair of Golden Eagles remains together for life. They build several eyries within their territory and use them alternately for several years. The nest consists of heavy tree branches, upholstered with grass.
Old eyries may be 2 metres (6.6 ft) in diameter and 1 metre (3.3 ft) in height, as the eagles enlarge their nests every year. If the eyrie is situated on a tree, supporting tree branches may break because of the weight of the nest.
The female lays two eggs between January and May (depending on the area). After 45 days the young hatch. They are entirely white and are fed for fifty days before they are able to make their first flight attempts and eat on their own. In most cases only the older chick, which takes most of the food, survives, while the younger one dies before leaving the eyrie.
Physical characteristics
Adult Golden Eagles have an average length of 75-85 cm (30-34″), a wingspan of 150-210 cm (59-83″), and a weight of 3-5 kg (7-11 lb). As in all birds of prey, the females are generally slightly larger than the males. The largest golden eagle on record was a huge 10 kg (22 lb) female in a national park in Spain she also held the record for the tallest Golden eagle, standing 90 cm (36″).
Hunting
Golden Eagles often have a division of labour while hunting: one partner drives the prey to its waiting partner. Their prey includes marmots, hares and mice, and sometimes birds, martens, foxes and young deer. Large mammals like chamois or adult deer can only be taken if they are wounded or sick.
Golden Eagles as religious symbols
The Golden Eagle is a sacred bird in some cultures and its feathers , like those of the Bald Eagle, are central to many religious and spiritual customs amongst Native Americans. Native Americans revere these eagles as sacred religious objects, and the feathers are often used to honor noteworthy achievements and qualities such as exceptional leadership and bravery.
US Federal eagle feather law (Title 50 Part 22 Code of Federal Regulations), stipulates that only individuals of certifiable Native American ancestry enrolled in a federally-recognized tribe are legally authorized to obtain Bald or Golden Eagle feathers for religious or spiritual use. Native Americans and non-Native Americans frequently contest the value and validity of the eagle feather law, charging that the law imposes racial preferences and infringes on tribal sovereignty. The law does not allow Native Americans to give Golden or Bald Eagle feathers to non-Native Americans, a custom commonly practiced today as it was centuries ago.
The Golden Eagle is also used as the centrepoint to the clan Munro crest.
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I also get this information about the golden from this site:
http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/endspec/goeafs.html
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
New York Status: Endangered
Federal Status: Not Listed
Description
This majestic “upland” eagle is aptly named for its golden- brown plumage, with head and nape feathers a slightly lighter, gold color. Measuring 27-33 inches (70-84 cm) in length, the golden eagle has a wingspan of 78 inches (2 m) and weighs 7-14 pounds (3.2-6.4 kg). Adults wield a bill which is a bit smaller and darker than that of our only other eagle, the bald eagle. The immature golden in flight can be distinguished from the immature bald eagle by the presence of distinct white patches on the underside of the wing and by a broad white tail with dark band. The most notable field mark at any age distinguishing these two eagles, should you be in a position to see it, is the presence of feathers on the legs of golden eagles all the way down to the toes while the bald eagle has a considerable amount of exposed leg showing. Favored prey items include rodents, rabbits, birds and reptiles, as well as carrion. ÂLife History
The golden eagle is long-lived, with a life span in the wild believed to be 30 years or more. It is also believed a pair mates for life and defends a selected territory against other golden eagles. Both the male and female participate in nest building, occasionally in a tree but more often on a cliff ledge, commonly with the protection of an overhanging tree or rock. The nest is made of large sticks and often contains aromatic leaves which may serve to deter insects. Since the same nest may be used and added to (decorated) year after year, they sometimes get quite large.
The single clutch consists of 1-2 (rarely 3) eggs which hatch after an incubation period of 35-45 days. Eaglets fledge in 65-75 days. The male provides some help with incubation, but is the major food provider during incubation and chick rearing. Young reach sexual maturity and obtain adult coloration at about 5 years of age.
Distribution and Habitat
The golden eagle is distributed worldwide throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Golden eagles are typically associated with the plains of the western United States, and are fairly common in our western states, Alaska and western Canada. Never abundant in the eastern U. S., this species is now virtually extirpated as a breeding bird east of the Mississippi River. Golden eagles once nested at no more than a dozen or so sites in the Adirondacks of New York, in Maine and in New Hampshire. They are believed to still nest in some numbers in eastern Canada, as evidenced by hundreds of golden eagles appearing during the fall and spring migrations in the eastern U. S. Preferred habitats include generally open areas: tundra, grasslands and deserts. The golden eagle feeds primarily on live mammals such as ground squirrels and marmots, found in their preferred upland habitats. In winter they will feed on carrion and waterfowl in the east, often associated with wintering bald eagles. ÂStatus
Golden eagles have been protected in the United States since 1963. During the 1950′s, an estimated 20,000 eagles were destroyed by ranchers, particularly sheep farmers who perceived them to be a threat. In the northeastern states, remnant populations declined drastically. Although sightings occur every year in New York, most are during migration and no active nests are currently known. A nest was built in the winter of 1992-93 by a wintering pair in southeastern New York, but has never been used as the pair departs every spring to return the next fall. The reasons for the decline of this species in the east are not clear. Various factors seem to be involved, including shooting, accidental trapping, human disturbance at nest sites, loss of essential open hunting habitat due to succession and fire control, and possibly pesticide contamination (especially by DDT).
Management and Research Needs
DEC continues to monitor historic eyries in hope that they may be used again, and have been investigating the golden eagle’s decline and the factors that may be involved in its breeding scarcity in New York.
Hacking, a technique used successfully in New York to restore the bald eagle, has been considered for goldens, but has not been pursued due to the uncertainty of why golden eagles disappeared from New York and whether these conditions still remain. Hacking of goldens is being conducted in a few southeastern states during the 1990′s and at least one pair has nested in there in recent years.