Colours
Distinguishing features
The golden eagle is a very large, dark brown raptor with broad wings. They have a paler nape patch. The bill is dark at the tip, fading to a lighter horn color, with a yellow cere. The bare portion of the feet is yellow.
The juvenile is similar to the adult but tends to be darker, appearing black on the back especially in East Asia. Young birds are white for about two-thirds of their tail length ending with a broad, black terminal band. Occasionally, juveniles have white patches on the remiges at the bases of the inner primaries and the outer secondaries, forming a crescent marking on the wings which tend to be divided by darker feathers. (Wikipedia)
Size
- Up to 102 cm (Length of specimen)
Wingspan
- Up to 234 cm
Synonyms
Distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
They are fairly adaptable in habitat but often reside in areas with a few shared ecological characteristics. They are best suited to hunting in open or semi-open areas and search them out year-around. Native vegetation seems to be attractive to them and they typically avoid developed areas of any type from urban to agricultural as well as heavily forested regions.
The largest numbers are found in mountainous regions today, with many eagles doing a majority of their hunting and nesting on rock formations. (Wikipedia)
