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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
golden
eagle, American gold eagle |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Falconiformes |
| FAMILY: |
Accipitridae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Aquila
(eagle) chrysaetos (gold eagle) canadensis |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
The
plumage of the golden eagle is dark brown with white
at the base of the tail and gold feathers on the
back of head. The bill and talons are black. Immature
birds have a broad, white tail band with a black
edge, and large white patches on the undersides
of the wings. |
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| SIZE: |
1
m (3 ft.) in height; 2-2.3 m (6.5-7.5 ft) wingspan |
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| WEIGHT: |
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| MALE |
3.5-4 kg (8-9 lb.) |
| FEMALE |
4.5-6 kg (10-14 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Includes
small and medium sized mammals, birds, and reptiles;
occasionally carrion |
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| INCUBATION: |
35-45 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
2-4
eggs |
| FLEDGING
DURATION |
72-84 days |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
Approximately
4-5 years |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Up
to 30 years in wild, longer in captivity |
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| RANGE: |
Western
U.S. and across Canada and Alaska; winters in North
America from south-central Alaska to central Mexico |
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| HABITAT: |
Found
in open country and desert grasslands |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Appendix
II |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
Golden
eagles are not typically found in the eastern
portion of the United States because these eagles
shy away from largely populated areas. They can
be found in the rugged solitude of western U.S.
where people are more spread out.
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| 2. |
Golden
eagles were at one time a symbol of malice. They
were once thought to steal infants from their cribs
and carry them off. This is not true - they feed
mainly on jackrabbits, marmots, and hoofstock. |
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| 3. |
These
birds are able to soar for long periods of time
with little effort. To do so, they catch rising
masses of warm air, which carries them upward in
a spiral fashion. |
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| 4. |
When
golden eagles spot prey while soaring, they tuck
their wings and swoop at speeds up to 200 mph. Some
say it sounds like a small, low-flying airplane. |
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| 5. |
These
eagles prefer to attack upwind, which increases
both speed and ability to control their speed and
maneuverability. |
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| 6. |
Golden
eagle nests are made of large twigs or roots and
are usually lined with moss, bark, fur, or other
soft material. Their nest is large, spanning as
much as 2.4-3 m (8-10 ft) across and 0.9-1.2 m (3-4
ft) deep! |
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| 7. |
For
more information about raptors, explore the RAPTORS INFOBOOK. |
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| Eagles
are a very important part of the environment. By
eating dead animal matter, they help with nature's
clean-up process. Eagles are also hunters, so they
keep animal populations strong. They do this by
killing weak, old, and slower animals, leaving only
the healthiest to survive. The birds will also feed
on carrion, which sometimes results in death from
vehicle collisions or poisoning. |
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|
|
Brown,
L. and D. Amadon. Eagles, Hawks and Falcons
of the World. New Jersey: Wellfleet Press,
1989.
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Laycock,
G. "All-American Survivor". Wildlife
Conservation, July-August, 1991. pp. 38-46.
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| Lee,
G. "Bald Eagle Soars Off Endangered List". The Tampa Tribune, June 30, 1994. |
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| Savage,
C. Eagles of North America. Wisconsin: Northwood
Press, 1987. |
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| http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/dec/papr/eagle.html |
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