Golden Eagle

Golden Eagle

 (Aquila chrysaetos)

 Photographed at Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix, AZ          Apr 2009

Found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, the Golden Eagle is common in western North America, but rare in the East. The Golden Eagle is the national emblem of Mexico.  It is one of the largest birds of prey in North America; only the Bald Eagle and California condor get larger.

Although capable of killing large prey such as cranes and domestic livestock, the Golden Eagle subsists primarily on rabbits, ground squirrels, and prairie dogs.

The Rough-legged Hawk, the Ferruginous Hawk, and the Golden Eagle are the only American hawks to have legs feathered all the way to the toes.

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Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

(Haliaeetusleucocephalus)

Photographed at Animal Kingdom, Orlando, FL      Mar 2011

Male bald eagles generally measure 3 feet from head to tail, weigh 7 to 10 pounds, and have a wingspan of about 6 1/2 feet. Females are larger, some reaching 14 pounds and having a wingspan of up to 8 feet.

This striking raptor has large, pale eyes; a powerful yellow beak; and great, black talons. The distinctive white head and tail feathers appear only after the bird is 4 to 5 years old. Bald eagles are believed to live 30 years or longer in the wild, and even longer in captivity.

They mate for life and build huge nests in the tops of large trees near rivers, lakes, marshes, or other wetland areas. Nests are often reused year after year.

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Eagles

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