Physical Appearance

• The golden eagle, the national bird of Mexico, is the largest raptor in North America, according to National Geographic. With a wingspan of six to 7 1/2 feet, golden eagles can reach up to 15 lbs. Mature eagles are between 33 and 38 inches tall. Female golden eagles are generally larger than their male counterparts according to the website Wild Zoofari. The plumage of golden eagles is dark brown all over, with the exception of some gold-toned feathers around their heads and necks. Their feet are yellow, and beaks are yellow with a black tip.
  
  

Diet

• Golden eagles formerly had something of a bad reputation, according to Sea World. The raptors were thought to be much fiercer hunters than they often are, often accused of picking off larger animals like adult sheep and livestock. In truth, golden eagles feed on small to medium sized animals, such as jackrabbits, marmots and tortoises. These birds occasionally eat carrion as well.
  
  

Habitat

• According to Wild Zoofari, golden eagles live in North America, Europe, Asia and northern Africa. They prefer temperate and coniferous forests, deserts, grasslands and alpine regions. The Peregrine Fund states that golden eagles that live farther north will migrate south for the winter in order to find food that becomes scarce in cooler climates. When golden eagle pairs find a place to nest, they maintain a territory that can be as large as 60 square miles.
  
  

Life Cycle

• National Geographic states that once paired off, golden eagles remain monogamous for several years, with some pairs observed to stay together for life. Female golden eagles lay between one and four eggs. Incubation responsibilities rest on the shoulders of both parents, who incubate the eggs for 40 to 45 days. Golden eagles nest within large stick structures housed either cliffside or within trees, measuring up to 10 feet across and 4 feet deep. The eagles often return to these nests throughout their lives. Wild Zoofari adds that usually, two chicks hatch and are fed by both parents for a period of three months. At this point, the chicks leave the nest. However, they do not reach full maturity until five years later. Within the wild golden eagles live up to 30 years, with eagles in captivity living beyond that.
  
  

Cultural Significance

• Golden eagles have cultural significance for different groups of people throughout the world. In Kazakhstan, according to Selena Travel, nomads depended upon these eagles for hunting. Kazakhs trained the eagles and used them to find food. Because of their importance to the Kazakh people, a Golden Eagle Festival is held annually within Mongolia. While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service bans killing golden eagles, some judges allow exceptions when the birds are hunted and used as part of tribal ceremonies, as demonstrated in 2006 when a case was dismissed against Northern Arapaho member Winslow W. Friday.