Golden eagles are part of the Aquila genus, there are some sixteen species of aquila including Bonelli's Eagle Verreaux's Eagle Booted Eagle and the Tawny Eagle. You maybe able to tell if the Golden eagle is juvenile or not, being the juvenile has white patches at the base of the secondaries and inner primaries and also two thirds of the tail will also be white viewable when the bird is in flight.
There are six recognised sub species within its global range which are Aquila chrysaetos chrysaetos, A. c. homeyeri, A. c.daphanea ( the largest of the Golden Eagle), A. c. kamtschatica, A. c. canadensis and A. c. japonica (the smallest of the Golden Eagle). I have spoke to some Golden Eagle Falconers which say there is a further eight subspecies although these maybe of subspecies of subspecies of the Golden eagle.
The Golden Eagle ranges across the north hemisphere from the extreme conditions of the artic to the remarkable heats of the deserts. The Golden Eagle occupies nearly all the mountainous regions in the north hemisphere, if forests are near by they will need to be sparse otherwise if to dense it will handicap the eagles hunting ability.
They will prey upon animals like rabbit hare partridge pheasant and in the warmer climate reptiles, and will feed on carcasses like sheep and deer.
Golden eagles in time will build a selection of nests then carry on using these nests making the nest larger and larger each time it is used, some have been recorded at being 5m tall and 1.5 m in diameter. They will build the nest so that at the warmest part of the day the nest is not in direct sun light as to not over heat the nest and most of the time they will use a cliff to build a nest rather than a tree and on occasion a man made structure.
http://www.eaglefalconry.net/
Dean Thomas
Sunday 6 June 2010
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