The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is 1 of the best-known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. These birds are dark brown, with lighter golden-brown plumage on their napes. Immature eagles of this species typically have white on the tail and often have white markings on the wings. Golden eagles use their agility and speed combined with powerful feet and massive, sharp talons to snatch up a variety of prey, mainly hares, rabbits, and marmots and other ground squirrels. They can also take down foxes, large birds, sheep, goats, and deer fawns and even adults. They have even been seen grabbing chamois and ibex with their talons and throwing them off the mountain where the fall almost always kills the prey for the eagle. They have incredibly strong eyesight that can spot a duck crystal clearly from 2 miles away. And when they dive, they can reach speeds of 200 m.p.h. This makes them one of the fastest animals in the world after the peregrine falcon. And their talons have a rachet-like mechanism that clamps down on the prey. Its 10 times stronger than a human, so its almost impossible to detach them from struggling prey that the eagle is after.
Golden eagles maintain home ranges or territories that may be as large as 200 km (77 sq mi). They build large nests in cliffs and other high places to which they may return for several breeding years. Most breeding activities take place in the spring; they are monogamous and may remain together for several years or possibly for life. Females lay up to 4 eggs, and then incubate them for 6 weeks. Typically, 1 or 2 young survive to fledge in about 3 months. These juvenile golden eagles usually attain full independence in the fall, after which they wander widely until establishing a territory for themselves in 4-5 years.
Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many areas that are now more heavily populated by humans. Despite being extirpated from or uncommon in some of its former range, the species is still widespread, being present in sizable stretches of Eurasia, North America, and parts of North Africa. It is the largest and least populous of the 5 species of true accipitrid to occur as a breeding species in both the Palearctic and the Nearctic.
For centuries, this species has been 1 of the most highly regarded birds used in falconry. Due to its hunting prowess, the golden eagle is regarded with great mystic reverence in some ancient, tribal cultures. It is 1 of the most extensively studied species of raptor in the world in some parts of its range, such as the Western United States and the Western Palearctic.