An adult golden eagle is brown. Golden feathers cover the back of its head and neck. A female golden eagle weighs roughly 9 to 13 pounds. A male weighs less.
Golden eagles live in North America, Europe, Asia and northern Africa. They live in open country, such as mountains and plains. Golden eagles in the far north fly south for the winter. Not all golden eagles migrate. Some stay in the same place all year.
A golden eagle hunts in three ways. It hunts by soaring high, by flying low over slopes, or by watching from a high perch. When it soars, it holds its long, broad wings flat. Golden eagles have sharp eyesight. They can see much better than a person can.
When a golden eagle spots food, it makes a sharp, fast dive. It uses sharp talons to snatch up its food. Golden eagles often hunt in pairs. One bird drives the food toward its partner.
Golden eagles eat mostly small mammals such as rabbits and hares. They eat birds, reptiles and fish less often. If live food is scarce, golden eagles eat carrion. Carrion is an animal already dead.
Most golden eagle nests are on cliff ledges. A nest is a huge platform of sticks. Each year they add more sticks. The nest gets bigger and bigger.
Most golden eagle pairs have two eggs in a nest. The eggs take about 40 to 45 days to hatch. Baby golden eagles are called eaglets. Young golden eagles leave the nest at about 10 weeks to three months old.
Words to know
- carrion: dead animal
- migrate: fly south
- talons: sharp claws
- eaglets: baby eagles
- perch: high seat
