Bird Album
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos (Linnaeus, 1758)
66–102 cmLength203 cmWingspan4.2 kgWeight
This large, dark brown raptor has a golden-brown wash from the rear crown to the nape.
Busiest months: October · Most records: United States, Canada, Spain
How to identify
Field marks
- Dark brown overall, with golden-brown rear crown and nape
- Tarsus feathers relatively pale; bare parts of legs and feet yellow
- Wings often raised in a shallow V in flight
- Wings broad and long, with finger-like notches at wingtips
Male, female and young
Sexes alike in color, female larger; about two-thirds of the juvenile’s tail is white, with a broad black terminal band, and the wings sometimes have white patches.
Voice
Calls are weak, high and sharp, described as puppy-like; usually very quiet.
Where and when it's recorded
Golden Eagle has been recorded at 981 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 57 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
To protect this bird from disturbance, we don't list exact sites.
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Golden Eagle?
The Golden Eagle is about 66–102 cm long, with a wingspan of 203 cm and weighs around 4.2 kg.
Where does the Golden Eagle live?
Its breeding range: North America, Middle America, Palearctic: widespread. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Spain.
When is the best time to see the Golden Eagle?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Golden Eagle endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Golden Eagle as Least Concern.
What does the Golden Eagle eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the Golden Eagle in?
It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 66–102 cm
- Wingspan
- 203 cm
- Weight
- 4.2 kg
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Feeds in the air
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 603 mm
- Tail
- 307 mm
- Bill
- 57 mm
- Tarsus
- 101 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America, Middle America, Palearctic: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
- Genus
- Aquila
Other birds in the genus Aquila
Steppe EagleAquila nipalensis
Tawny EagleAquila rapax
Spanish Imperial EagleAquila adalberti
Eastern Imperial EagleAquila heliaca
Cassin's Hawk-EagleAquila africana
Bonelli's EagleAquila fasciata
African Hawk-EagleAquila spilogaster
Verreaux's EagleAquila verreauxii
Gurney's EagleAquila gurneyi
Wedge-tailed EagleAquila audax
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Giles Laurent. ↗
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