Eagles are powerful birds that serve as national symbols.
The bald eagle, as every American child learns in school, is the symbol of the USA.
The golden eagle is the national symbol of Albania, Germany, Austria, Kazakhstan, and Mexico. These two majestic birds have a lot in common.
Quick Facts About the Golden Eagle
Golden eagles are large, speedy, and nimble raptors found across the Northern Hemisphere.
They are called golden eagles because they have brilliant, gold feathers on the back of their head and neck.
They also have powerful beaks and sharp talons to complete their hunting prowess.
In the US, you are most likely to see golden eagles in the Rocky Mountain states, diving down to catch a jackrabbit or other small mammals that are its primary food source.
- Golden eagles sometimes kill livestock, such as lambs and baby pigs. They are also capable of taking on cats and smaller dogs. Most of their diet, however, consists of rabbits, ground squirrels, and prairie dogs, captured as they emerge from their burrows.
- Even though they are at the top of their food chain, golden eagle populations have not been decimated by pollution and farm chemicals such as DDT the same way bald eagle populations have because they feed on animals that are usually not exposed to toxins.
- Since the 1970s, power companies have modified the way they string up power lines to reduce the risk of electrocution for golden eagles, spacing the lines, so eagles do not accidentally touch two lines at the same time and form a circuit.
- Golden eagles can live to be more than 30 years old. The oldest golden eagle was found in Utah in 2021, a full 31 years and 8 months after it was first banded.
- Golden eagles have feathers on their legs all the way down to their toes. Of all the raptors in North America, only golden eagles, ferruginous hawks, and rough-legged hawks have feathers on their legs.
- Rescue groups are building up golden eagle populations through a practice called “hacking.” Golden eagle eggs are hatched in laboratories. Animal rehabilitation specialists feed the young golden eagle chicks until they are 12 weeks old when they are released into the wild. Even as adults, golden eagles raised this way will return to their hackers for handouts.
Quick Facts About the Bald Eagle
Bald eagles have been totems for native American tribes for centuries. They were adopted as a symbol of the United States in 1782.
You can recognize them by the gleaming white feathers on their heads and necks that contrast with the brown feathers on the rest of their bodies.
You can sometimes see them soaring alone, ruling their part of the sky.
Or you can sometimes come across hundreds of bald eagles sharing an isolated, rocky roosting place close to a lake or the ocean.
- Unlike the golden eagle, which mostly feeds on small mammals, bald eagles specialize in fish. However, they do not always catch their own fish. They have been known to raid fishing boats, and they sometimes harass an osprey so it drops its fish for the eagle to catch in mid-air.
- Bald eagles can fly hundreds of miles in a single day. A bald eagle tagged in Florida was found in Michigan, and birds tracked in California have been found in Alaska. Bald eagles spend the first four years of their lives exploring vast territories to find the best fishing spots.
- Bald eagles build huge nests. The largest bald eagle nest ever recorded was found in a public park in St. Petersburg, Florida. The National Parks Service reports that the nest was 9 feet 6 inches (2.9 meters) in diameter and 20 feet (6 meters) tall.
- Bald eagles sometimes need to cut loose. Bird watchers have observed bald eagles playing a game of passing sticks in mid-air, and kicking cans.
- Benjamin Franklin famously wanted the American national bird to be a turkey. He decried the bald eagle’s tendency to steal fish from other birds and the way it was easily harassed by smaller birds of prey.
- Bald eagles occupy year-round homes where golden eagles aren’t found at all, such as in South Florida and East Texas.
Golden Eagles vs Bald Eagles
There are some major differences between golden eagles and bald eagles.
The most obvious difference is the color of their feathers. Golden eagles have some golden feathers on the back of their heads and necks.
Bald eagles aren’t bald, but they have white feathers whereas golden eagles have golden feathers.
Golden eagles range across the top of the world, in Europe and Asia as well as North America, but bald eagles fly farther on any given day.
Bald eagles are an all-American bird, but they can fly hundreds of miles looking for new hunting grounds.
Golden eagles and bald eagles specialize in different foods. Golden eagles hunt for small land animals, but bald eagles specialize in fish.
Golden eagles build large nests. Bald eagles build enormous nests, and come back to them year after year.
Golden eagles are huge birds, with wings that span as much as 7.5 feet (about 230 cm) across. But a bald eagle’s wings may stretch to 8 feet (about 244 cm).
Both golden eagles and bald eagles are magnificent birds of prey. Now, let’s take a closer look at each species.
Get to Know the Golden Eagle Better
Golden eagles are large, majestic birds of prey that are native to the Northern Hemisphere.
They are found in a variety of habitats, including grasslands, forests, and mountainous regions.
They are known for their powerful hunting abilities and long, broad wings.
Golden eagles are characterized by their dark brown head, neck, and back feathers contrasting with lighter brown breast and belly feathers.
They have a distinctive golden-brown nape, or back of the neck, which gives them their name.
They have a wingspan of up to 7.5 feet (228 cm) and a relatively short, rounded tail.
Golden eagles are carnivores. Their diet primarily consists of small mammals such as rabbits, hares, and rodents.
They are also known to hunt birds, reptiles, and only occasionally fish.
Golden eagles are skilled hunters and use a variety of tactics to capture their prey, including diving from the air and stalking prey on the ground.
Golden eagles are monogamous, forming long-term pair bonds.
They are territorial, defending their territory from other eagles and other predators.
They build large nests, called eyries, in trees or on cliffs, and lay one or two eggs per year. Both parents participate in incubating the eggs and caring for the young.
Golden eagles are not endangered, but their populations have declined in some areas due to habitat loss and persecution by humans.
They are protected by law in many countries, and conservation efforts are underway to help protect and restore their populations.
Get to Know the Bald Eagle Better
The first thing you need to know about bald eagles is that they aren’t really bald.
The Audubon Center for Birds of Prey explains that in Old English, the term “bald” meant “white.” Bald eagles have a crown of white feathers on top of their heads.
Bald eagles are large, distinctive birds of prey that are native to North America.
They are most commonly found near water sources such as rivers, lakes, and coastlines.
They have adapted to a wide range of habitats, including forests, wetlands, and grasslands.
Bald eagles are easy to recognize by their white head and tail feathers, which contrast with their dark brown body and wings.
They have a large, hooked beak and a distinctive tuft of feathers on the top of their head, called a “crest.”
They have a wingspan of up to 8 feet (244 cm) and a relatively long, wedge-shaped tail.
Bald eagles are carnivores. Their diet primarily consists of fish. They catch fish by swooping down and snatching them from the water.
They are also known to scavenge for food, and will occasionally prey on small mammals and birds.
Bald eagles are monogamous and form long-term pair bonds.
They are territorial animals and defend their territory from other eagles and other predators.
They build large nests, called eyries, in trees or on cliffs, and lay one or two eggs per year. Both parents participate in incubating the eggs and caring for the young.
Bald eagles were once endangered due to habitat loss, hunting, and the use of pesticides such as DDT.
However, conservation efforts have helped to restore their populations, and the EPA removed them from the endangered species list in 2007.
They are now protected by law in the United States and Canada, and their populations continue to recover and expand.
How Can I Tell Whether I am Looking at a Golden Eagle, a Bald Eagle, or Some Other Raptor?
There are a few key characteristics that can help you distinguish golden eagles from bald eagles and other raptors.
Golden eagles are large birds of prey, with a wingspan of up to 7.5 feet.
They have dark brown feathers on their head, neck, and back, and lighter brown feathers on their breast and belly.
They have a distinctive golden-brown nape, or back of the neck, which gives them their name.
They have long, broad wings and a relatively short, rounded tail.
Bald eagles are also large birds of prey, with a wingspan of up to 8 feet. They are distinctive for their white head and tail feathers, which contrast with their dark brown body and wings.
They have a large, hooked beak and a distinctive tuft of feathers on the top of their head, called a “crest.”
There are many other species of raptors, or birds of prey, that can be found in various parts of the world.
Some other common characteristics of raptors include:
- Strong, sharp beaks and talons for hunting and capturing prey
- Keen eyesight for spotting prey from a distance
- Large, powerful wings for soaring and hunting
To accurately identify a particular species of raptor, it is often necessary to observe several key characteristics, such as size, shape, coloration, and behavior.
If you are unsure what species of raptor you are looking at, you may want to consult a field guide or seek the advice of a local expert/
Can Golden Eagles and Bald Eagles Mate?
It is theoretically possible for golden eagles and bald eagles to mate and produce offspring.
They are both members of the Accipitridae family, which includes many species of diurnal birds of prey such as eagles, hawks, and kites.
However, it is highly unlikely that this would occur in nature.
That’s because the two species have distinct ecological niches and are found in different parts of the world.
Golden eagles are native to the Northern Hemisphere, including parts of Europe, Asia, and North America.
They prefer open, grassy landscapes and mountainous regions, and are known for their powerful hunting abilities and long, broad wings.
Bald eagles, on the other hand, are native to North America, and are most commonly found near water sources such as rivers, lakes, and coastlines.
They have adapted to a wide range of habitats, including forests, wetlands, and grasslands.
Given their geographical and ecological differences, it is highly unlikely that golden eagles and bald eagles would encounter each other in the wild.
They just wouldn’t have the opportunity to mate. However, it is possible that the two species could be artificially hybridized in captivity under certain circumstances.
If a Golden Eagle and a Bald Eagle Were To Fight, Which One Would Win?
It is difficult to predict with certainty which species would win in a fight between a golden eagle and a bald eagle.
The outcome would depend on a variety of factors such as the size, strength, and age of the individual birds. It would also depend on the specific circumstances of the encounter.
Both golden eagles and bald eagles are powerful birds of prey. They both have sharp beaks and talons that they use to hunt and defend themselves.
Golden eagles are generally larger and more powerful than bald eagles, with strong, muscular legs. They are also known for their impressive hunting abilities and powerful talons.
Bald eagles, on the other hand, are slightly smaller, even though their wingspan is greater.
They are more adapted to scavenging and fishing, and may not be as agile or powerful as golden eagles in direct physical combat.
It is important to note that fights between birds of prey are relatively rare in the wild.
These animals have evolved a variety of behaviors and strategies for avoiding confrontations and establishing social hierarchies.
In general, it is best to respect the natural behaviors and habits of wild animals and avoid interfering with or disturbing them.
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