Golden eagle Facts for Kids
Aquila chrysaetos · AK-wih-luh kris-AY-eh-tos
A big brown bird of prey with very wide wings.
- 🏃 80 mph129 km/h1
- ⚖️ 6.6 to 14 lb3 to 6.1 kg1
- 📏 28 to 33 in70 to 84 cm1 long
- 🎂 32 years32 years1
- 🍽️ meat
- Doing fine (Least Concern)
A golden eagle is a big, dark brown bird with golden feathers on its neck. It has very wide wings. It lives in open country.
Golden eagles live in open and half-open country, from the seashore up to high mountains, across Europe, Asia, northern Africa and North America. They eat rabbits, hares and other small mammals, and some birds and reptiles.
A golden eagle has very wide wings that let it soar high over open country. It lives across Europe, Asia, northern Africa and North America, from the seashore up to high mountains. It eats mostly small mammals such as rabbits and hares, and some birds, reptiles and fish. It flies fast, and in the wild it can live for many years.
How big is a golden eagle?
Golden eagle in numbers
| Length | 28 to 33 in70 to 84 cm1body length |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | no checked number yet |
| Weight | 6.6 to 14 lb3 to 6.1 kg1males and females |
| Top speed (flying) | 80 mph129 km/h1up to; in level flight |
| How long it lives | 32 years32 years1up to; in the wild |
| What it eats | rabbits, hares and other small mammals, and some birds and reptiles |
| Where it lives | open country from the seashore to high mountains across Europe, Asia, northern Africa and North America |
| What kind | Birds |
| Is it in danger? | Doing fine (Least Concern)2 |
A number we couldn’t find on a page we trust says so, instead of guessing.
Wow!
- A golden eagle can soar over open country with very wide wings.
- It lives from the seashore to high mountains.
- It eats mostly rabbits, hares and other small mammals.
Compare the golden eagle
Friends and neighbours
Bald eagle
Peregrine falcon
Red foxThree questions
Books about the golden eagle, free at the library
Ask a grown-up to tap the button: it shows where to borrow a book about the golden eagle for free.
For teachers
Use this animal in class: its facts are on this page, and the cards print from it.
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Aquila chrysaetos (golden eagle), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, Golden eagle (Q41181), checked 30 October 2026.