Golden Eagle Facts: North America's LARGEST Bird of Prey

Golden eagles are some of the largest birds of prey in North America. These giant birds can be confused with bald eagles when the later are juveniles, but golden eagle adults don't have that characteristic "bald" head. Golden eagles are active hunters soaring the skies while searching for small mammalian prey. In a dive, they can fly as fast as 150mph (241.4km/h). These birds like wide, open areas with high perches for surveying the land. They'll aggressively defend their nests which they'll share with a potentially lifelong partner.

Scientific Name: Aquila chrysaetos
Range: northern hemisphere throughout North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa
Size: 2.5 feet long (76.2cm), wingspans of 7 feet (2.13cm); females are larger than males
Diet: small mammals like hares, squirrels, and prairie dogs
Lifespan: 30+ years

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EDIT: At 1:17 a red kite is shown, not a golden eagle. Sorry for the misidentification on our part!
Also, the beginning of the video might seem a little choppy because we needed to fix a mistake in the YouTube editor. Thanks for your understanding!

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Image and Video Credits:
kangaroovindaloo

Research Credits:

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***I tried really hard to make sure only golden eagles are pictured in this video, but I'm really not great at identification, so my apologies if something shows up that isn't a golden eagle!!!

[AnimalFactFiles]

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[Bandrik]

Okay, calling bald eagles risqué for showing ankle gave me a big smile, thank you. :)

[jewleetee]

I rescue injured raptors, it's heartbreaking how many golden eagles come in with shotgun pellets. No clue why someone would want to shoot such a beautiful animal :(

[robertsullivan]

Might have been nice to draw size comparisons with Bald Eagle's.

[glamberkitten]

It is majestically beautiful! Awe-Inspiring!

[FelisBX]

2:10 That has got to be, BY FAR, the ANGRIEST BIRB I HAVE EVERY SEEN

[liamrobinson]

They may be mighty, but they're still birbs

[huntervalentine]

Do flamingo please! That would make my day!! :) :)

[hikingpainter]

The best spot I found to view them in the u.s. near the Midwest is fults hill prairie in fults Illinois. That's the original Mississippi River bluff almost 400 ft high and you can see at least a couple hundred Goldens there

[jonjonsin]

I was hunting deer once and was in a dense canyon. Very narrow at the bottom. Basically a dried up little creek that may not have had water for very long. As I was walking I could hear this very loud air swooshing sound. I mean it was loud, it lasted for a good 15 seconds and I was on alert. It was loud enough to make me jump and being in this canyon I think the sound was magnified but it had to be right above me circling. I stood there staring upward and finally it appeared the biggest bird I've seen in the wild flying just about 10-15 feet above me. Just flew right above and by me, I still remember seeing some detail in it's head, it was looking around as it went by and was actually not going that fast though, still as it flapped it's wings you could actually hear it. It was crazy the size of it and hearing the power in those wings. Very beautiful though and was a great moment

[hummingbirds]

1:17 that's a Red Kite, not a Golden Eagle.

[jameshorn]

The true language of blue angels flying

[DearPajamaParty]

You should do a video on the two different kinds of killer whales. Resident and Transient. 😲

[marco-boss]

Eagles are not Birds they belong to the family Accipitridae. It's amusing your comment @ Min 3:30. You stated "They might be mighty but they are still birds", what did you expect them to be? Usually, for fast reference, if a living organism has gills and scales they are fish, if a living organism has antlers they are some type of antelope and if they look human with no gills, feathers, antlers, etc. they are of the human species. There are books at the library that explain this concept. Anyone can rent them out. I like the video it is funny.

[myyoutube]

Bull Et got me on a run....earthbound humans

[mgn]

North American Golden Eagles are the ones kicking alot of ass out there ..! ..the peregrine falcon dives fast but under its own power (flying horizontally) close too the ground with its own wing muscles it can only reach a speed of around 60 mph the golden reaches a horizontal flight speed of 80 mph and playing in the sky can reach 200 mph. again the golden eagle is the one kicking alot of ass out there ..very big bird

[fox]

One thing you forgot to tell us the golden eagle the golden eagle is the national bird not the bald eagle Because of the bold eagle's comeback They tried to pull a fast way but if you look at all of the you look at all of the coins the flags flags and other monitors it's the Golden Age it's the golden eagle the national bird revert of the United States of America!

[donchonealyotheoneal]

It's weird but every time I hear you say birds it sounds like Burbs

[johnnyvincent]

Rip California condor because he endangered and he eat carrion he forgotten

[jamesvardeman]

Heard of more than one account of a bald eagle to fly over a fisherman haveing no luck and drop a fish not to be kind as a insult