An adult golden eagle is brown, with golden feathers on the back of its head and neck. A golden eagle's wings spread about two meters (6.5 feet) from tip to tip. A female golden eagle weighs roughly 4 to 6 kilograms (about 9 to 13 pounds), and a male weighs less.

Golden eagles have sharp eyesight, and they can see much better than a person can. Golden eagles see in color and can spot movement from a long distance. They see extremely well in daylight but no better than people at night. A golden eagle has a clear extra eyelid that protects its eyes from dust and dirt.

Golden eagles fly with slow, powerful wingbeats alternated with gliding and soaring. A golden eagle soars with its long, broad wings held flat. They use mountain ridges to ride thermal updrafts that sweep up from the valleys and deserts below.

A golden eagle hunts by soaring high, by flying low over slopes, or by watching from a high perch. When a golden eagle spots food, it makes a sharp, fast dive. Golden eagles use sharp talons to snatch up their food. Golden eagles often hunt in pairs, with one bird driving the food toward its partner.

Golden eagles eat mostly small mammals such as rabbits, hares and marmots, and they eat birds, reptiles and fish less often. If live food is scarce, golden eagles also eat carrion, which is an animal already dead. Golden eagles rarely cache food, which means they rarely store it for later.

Golden eagles live across North America, Europe, Asia and northern Africa. Golden eagles live in open country such as mountains, plains and foothills. Most golden eagles live in mountain areas, but they also nest in wetland, river and estuary habitats.

Golden eagles live throughout most of Alaska as far north as the Brooks Range. As of November 2026, in the United States about 5,000 golden eagles live east of the Great Plains, and more than 20,000 live in the western states.

Golden eagles that live in the far north fly south for the winter. Northern golden eagles move south late in fall and return north early in spring. Golden eagles tend to migrate at midday, along north-south cliff lines, ridges and escarpments, and in the East they funnel south along narrow Appalachian ridges.

A golden eagle pair stays together, often for life. Golden eagles usually build their nests on cliff ledges, and sometimes in large trees. Each year golden eagles add more sticks to their nest, so it gets bigger and bigger. Golden eagle nests can be built from ground level up to about 107 meters off the ground. As of November 2026, the largest golden eagle nest on record measured 6.1 meters tall and 2.59 meters wide.

Golden eagles breed once a year. A golden eagle pair usually has two eggs in a nest. The eggs take about 40 to 45 days to hatch. A golden eagle sits over its newly hatched chicks, which is called brooding. It keeps them warm when it is cool and shades them when it is hot. Baby golden eagles are called eaglets. Young golden eagles leave the nest at about 10 weeks to three months old.

A golden eagle gets its full adult feathers at about age five and does not breed until it is four to seven years old. As of November 2026, golden eagles in the wild live about 30 years on average, and San Diego Zoo says up to 38 years. As of November 2026, golden eagles in human care have lived 46 years or more: Animal Diversity Web names 46 years as the oldest known, and San Diego Zoo says up to 50.

Words to know

• thermal: rising warm air
• updrafts: rising air
• cache: hidden store
• brooding: sitting over
• escarpments: steep slopes
• carrion: dead animal