The Golden Eagle

In the Northern hemisphere, the Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey. A bird of prey is one that hunts down and kills its food for survival.

According to Wikipedia, the adult Golden Eagles widely vary in size. The largest of them has been seen in North America, with a recorder weight of 20 pounds and a body length of 40.1 inches. The female Golden Eagle species are larger than the males.

The Golden Eagles have colors that range from black-brown to dark brown, and have a beautiful golden colored crown and cape. The upper portions of the wings also have a lighter area to them. Younger Golden Eagles resemble the adult birds, but their appearance is more mottled, and they have a white-banded tail and a white patch at the carpal joint. These white areas disappear as the Golden Eagle grows and matures, and is normally completely gone by the time the bird is five years old.

The Golden Eagles prey on such animals as rabbits and mice. Sometimes, they will seek out smaller birds, foxes, small turtles, young deer, and even smaller livestock such as lambs and young goats. In the winter months, the normal prey of the Golden Eagle is often scarce, and as a result, they tend to prey on other animals such as owls, hawks, and even falcons. The adult Golden Eagle is rarely, if ever preyed upon by other animals, and they are known to kill large vultures, even know they are often much smaller than the vulture.

According to The Golden Eagle Information Center, the Golden Eagle is eight times more powerful than a human being. Their talons are used for killing and carrying their prey, and their beak is only used for eating. They share the task of hunting prey with a partner Golden Eagle. One bird will chase the prey towards another awaiting bird that will go in for the kill.

The Golden Eagle will usually mate for the purpose of expanding their population. They build several nests within a specific territory and use the nests alternatively for many years. The nests are made of heavy branches which the Golden Eagle will line with grass when it is using that nest; The Golden Eagle will repair the nest as needed and make them bigger when they are using them. The nest is very heavy, and it can cause the supporting braches under it to break under its weight. Sometimes, you will find that other mammals, those too small to be of interest as prey to the Golden Eagle will take shelter in the unused nests. The nest protects these small mammals because their preys are the right size for the Golden Eagles to prey upon, so they stay away from the nests.

Depending on the location of the Golden Eagle, the female will lat two black eggs between the months of January and September. The female will sit on the eggs to incubate them, and in about 45 days, a baby Golden Eagle is hatched. A baby Golden Eagle is completely white in color and is fed for fifty days before they make their very first flight attempt and begin eating on their own. It is common for only the older of the two baby Golden Eagles to survive and the younger to die without ever leaving the nest. Researchers believe that this is because the older of the two has a few days advantage over the younger one, because it was hatched first. The older one will normally win battles for food while in the nest, giving it the advantage of better growth and nutrition as well.

The Golden Eagle is one of the most widely known birds of prey. They are extremely large birds with beautiful and distinctive coloring. They are a sacred bird in some cultures and play a central part to many religious and spiritual customs. The Golden Eagle is often seen as a symbol of great achievements and leadership qualities. The Golden Eagle is protected in the United States. It is illegal to possess even a feather from one of these birds, unless the person who possesses the feather is a Native American Indian.

The Golden Eagle is a great bird of prey. One on the brink of extinction is it beginning to become more populous. It is still a protected bird, and a sacred bird in many cultures. If you ever get the opportunity to see one of these amazing birds, you will immediately know it by it coloring and enormous size.