The Magnificent Golden Eagle

The Golden Eagle is highly underrated. The Bald Eagle outshines the Golden Eagle, at least in our perceptions. Those perceptions are largely incorrect. Truth is, the Golden Eagle is the bigger, badder, faster, tougher, meaner cousin of the Bald Eagle. They just don't get no respect!

A shame, really. The "goldie" is beautiful, incredibly versatile, adaptable, helps sustain the balance of nature, is a model partner and parent. All while maintaining a uniqueness unmatched in the avian world.

Golden Eagles are not closely related to Bald Eagles. Bald Eagles hunt largely over water and are called "fishing eagles." Golden's hunt almost exclusively on land. Everything from field mice up to and including large animals like the fox, the wolf, mountain goats, even deer many times their size. They are absolutely fearless!

They're well equipped for the job, too. Their talons are HUGE! Second only to the Harpy Eagle in size. And, they're spring loaded! When an eagle strikes, its talons close and LOCK, much like locking pliers. Takes no effort to hold 'em closed, and those talons can literally sever a spine.

For all their fierceness and independence, Golden Eagles also make excellent partners in falconry. The Mongols and Kazachs have used them for hundreds of years as partners in their hunting. They're highly intelligent, trainable and many falconers say the birds bond closely with their handlers.

This is a juvenile Golden Eagle. His tail still has much white in it. At maturity the white fades. This eagle and this young girl may be partners for the next twenty years, or more.

Here's some "Golden Facts."

Golden Eagles often mate for life. Over years, they'll build multiple nests in a region, visiting several, choosing one each nesting season.

The male, foreground, is smaller than the female. They play together, dropping pebbles from on high, catching them before they hit the ground. That's often part of their mating behaviors. Their vision is just incredible.

Their nests are really big! They're found on cliffs or high places, all but unreachable by predators...or man.

The range of a Golden Eagle can encompass as much as 75 square miles. That's the same size as Oakland, California.

Their wing span can be up to eight feet, tip to tip. When they dive, or "stoop," they can reach speeds approaching 200 miles per hour. Second only to the Peregrine Falcon.

They are heavy birds. The males average about 8 pounds or so, the females, about 12 pounds. Depends on the region.

Their talons can be as much as three inches long, about the same as the grizzly bear.

That's a wrap. It's late and I'm tired. Hope you enjoyed this intro to Golden Eagles. Believe me, they're worth lookin' at. Truly a King of Birds, the national symbol of five countries. Just about the most lethal and effective raptor out there. And so underappreciated.

Next time, I think I'll head back to more familiar territory. A subject near and dear...the all-important cage. After all, we live in cages, too. We just have the keys to the doors.

Once writ, hit send.....Web Rydr!