Species profile
Name: the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is a large eagle belonging to the family Accipitridae.
Appearance: golden eagles are typically a dark brown colour with lighter golden-brown heads and necks. Immature eagles often have white markings on their tails and wings.
Size: they have the fifth largest wingspan amongst all eagle species, reaching 1.8 to 2.3 metres wide. Female golden eagles are larger than the males.
Diet: golden eagles use their agility and speed combined with powerful feet and massive talons to snatch up a variety of prey such as hares, rabbits, marmots, and squirrels.
Did you know: due to their incredible hunting prowess, golden eagles have been one of the most highly regarded birds in falconry for centuries, and are regarded with mystic reverence in many ancient, tribal cultures. In Asia, they were used in teams to hunt deer, antelope, and even wolves! While in Europe, their use was typically reserved for Emperors and Kings. To this day, golden eagles are still used for hunting in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Mongolia.
Location: there are six subspecies of golden eagle which live across Europe, Asia, Japan, America, and Siberia. They are typically found in mountainous regions where they nest on rock formations.
Where to see golden eagles
According to reports submitted to WildSide, you can see golden eagles in the following places:
| Place | Chance to see | User rating | No. reports |
| Isle of Skye Scotland |
100% very high |
5.0 very good |
2 reports |
| Findhorn Valley Scotland |
50% average |
4.5 very good |
2 reports |
| Isle of Lewis and Harris Scotland |
40% average |
4.8 very good |
5 reports |
| Loch Ness Scotland |
21% low |
4.6 very good |
14 reports |
| Cairngorms Scotland |
14% very low |
4.3 very good |
7 reports |
| Isle of Mull Scotland |
0% very low |
4.5 very good |
4 reports |
Photo credit: thepcspud under a Creative Commons license from Flickr