Scientific name: Aquila chrysaetos
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae

The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas. It has a wingspan averaging over 2 m (7 ft) and up to 1 m (3 ft) in body length.

Golden eagle prey includes marmots, hares and mice, and sometimes birds, martens, foxes, small turtles, young deer, and livestock including lambs and young goats. During winter months when prey is scarce, Golden Eagles scavenge on carrion to supplement their diet. Sometimes when no carrion is available golden eagles will hunt down owls, hawks, falcons, and large ungulates. Golden eagles are avian apex predators, meaning a healthy adult is not preyed upon.

There are records of golden eagles killing large raptors such as Eurasian Eagle Owls, Gyrfalcons, Goshawks and Buteo hawks. Golden Eagles have very good eyesight and can spot prey from a long distance. The Golden Eagle has a resolving power 8x more powerful than a human. The talons are used for killing and carrying the prey, the beak is used only for eating. They often have a division of labor while hunting, one bird driving the prey towards its waiting partner.

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