Golden Eagle - Ross Feldner

While the Bald Eagle gets most of the press, the Golden Eagle is equally magnificent and fierce. It also claims the title of being the most widely distributed species of eagle, living on every continent except South America and Antarctica.

Golden Eagles' agility and speed combined with powerful feet and large, sharp talons, enables them to hunt a variety of prey, including hares, rabbits, marmots and ground squirrels. Golden Eagles will even attack large mammals including coyotes and bears. They are one of the largest, nimblest, and fasted raptors in America with a wingspan of nearly 8 feet.

Their home territories can be as large as 77 square miles, building large nests in high places such as cliffs to which they return for several years. Although females usually lay a clutch of four eggs, typically only one or two of the young survive.

Because of their hunting prowess, Golden Eagles are regarded with great mystic reverence in many tribal cultures.

These majestic raptors are mostly seen alone or in pairs, typically soaring or gliding with their wingtip feathers spread. They locate and capture prey on or near the ground after spotting it while soaring or flying low as well as hunting from a perch.