Photo: Jarkko Järvinen / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) — Birds of Prey of North America.
Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Central America & Caribbean, Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 4.2 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Aquila
- Species chrysaetos
Quick facts
- Weight
- 4.2 kg
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Endangered
Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Golden Eagle preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Golden Eagle is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) belongs to the Accipitridae family of the order Accipitriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean, Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA, PAL widespread.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 4.2 kg, with a wing length of about 60.3 cm and a tail of around 30.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 39.5 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Golden Eagle?
The Golden Eagle is a very large bird that weighs around 4.2 kg.
Where does the Golden Eagle live?
The Golden Eagle is found across Central America & Caribbean, Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, MA, PAL widespread, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Golden Eagle belong to?
The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Golden Eagle eat?
The Golden Eagle preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Golden Eagle migrate?
The Golden Eagle is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Golden Eagle endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Golden Eagle make?
1 real field recording of the Golden Eagle — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Golden Eagle's range?
The Golden Eagle has a mapped global range of about 39.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Accipitridae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Endangered
Near Threatened
Least Concern
More in Birds of Prey
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Bald Eagle vs Golden Eagle: How to Tell Them Apart
How to tell a Bald Eagle from a Golden Eagle — size, range, family and status compared side by side, with links to each bird’s full ID guide.
Meet the Accipitridae
A field guide to the Accipitridae family — 254 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.