Golden eagle

The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is the king of Britain’s birds of prey, but it is not the largest raptor to be seen in British skies, that honour belonging to the white-tailed eagle. However, the sight of a golden eagle soaring above a Scottish glen, or plunging and rolling in its display flight, is one that every birdwatcher wishes to see.

Distribution and Habitat

The species discussed here is native to Europe and western Asia, although five sub-species have been identified that, between them, are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including North America. The differences are in size and plumage.

In Great Britain, the golden eagle is limited to the north and west of Scotland, including the inner and outer Hebrides but not the northern isles; plus the hills of Dumfries and Galloway, and the Lake District of England.

The golden eagle is a bird of wide, open spaces, such as remote moorlands and glens and wild mountainsides. Its liking for places where people rarely visit makes it a challenge to spot, although younger birds are sometimes seen at lower levels during the late autumn as they search for their own territory.

Appearance

The golden eagle measures 76-90 centimetres (30-35 inches) in length and it has a wingspan of 188-196 centimetres (74-77 inches). It has a protruding head and its wings bulge outwards when at rest, which gives the bird a more impressive profile than maybe it deserves. The tail is square at rest and fanned when in flight. The legs are feathered (giving the appearance of “baggy trousers”) and the feet are yellow with long black talons.

The plumage is mainly dark brown apart from the golden sheen on the head and neck that gives the bird its name. Younger birds have white stripes on the wings and tail that disappear as they mature.

Males and females are similar in size and appearance.

Behaviour

The golden eagle can be seen perching on crags and trees, or soaring above valleys and hillsides. It is generally solitary, although families stay together into the autumn.

The flight is powerful with deep, leisurely wingbeats and long glides. When soaring, the wings are held in a shallow V. The golden eagle hunts from a fairly low height, swooping on its prey with the wings half closed.

Golden eagles are territorial, and may maintain territories that are 50 square miles or more in extent. This means that younger birds must find their own territories when they mature.

The golden eagle is largely silent, but it does have a buzzard-like mewing call and a shrill barking yelp.

Breeding

Golden eagles are faithful both to their partners (often for life) and their nesting sites. However, they may build several nests (or “eyries”) within a limited area and move between them in successive breeding seasons.

The nest, built or repaired in March or April, is usually sited on a ledge on a mountainside crag, although trees are occasionally used. It is a large affair, resembling a basket of sticks and branches.

The clutch of two eggs is incubated mostly by the female, with occasional relief being offered by her partner. The chicks hatch after about 45 days and are fed by the female from food hunted and passed to her by the male. The male golden eagle will usually feed the chicks directly when they get older.

The young fledge at around 75 days but stay close to their parents for some time after, only leaving the territory when they are fully grown.

Feeding

Golden eagles prey mainly on small mammals and birds, although they will also attack and kill animals as large as lambs and kids (young goats). They also feed on carrion, and younger golden eagles eat amphibians and reptiles.

Conservation

Golden eagles have amber conservation status in the UK, due to their relative rarity (fewer than 500 breeding pairs). They are protected birds, but the occasional poisoning still takes place, whether accidental or deliberate. The golden eagle’s best protection is the remoteness of its habitats and the inaccessibility of its nesting sites.

© John Welford