Golden Eagle - Hebridean Birds
Western Isles Birds - The golden eagle is a very large bird of prey with a wingspan of more than 2 metres.
Bird sightings in the Western Isles - Scotland. There have been quite a few sightings of golden eagles, throughout The Isle of Harris, The Isle of Lewis and the Uists
The golden eagles are extremely swift and agile - they dive upon their quarry at speeds of more than 150 miles (241 kilometres) per hour.
| Bird Overview - Golden Eagles |
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Latin name |
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| Population |
Scarce in England
442 Breeding pairs in Scotland as at 2013 |
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Similar Species |
White Tailed Eagle
Buzzard |
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| Description |
Adult golden eagles are a uniform brown colour with a paler brown head, but juveniles have a white patch on the base of the tail and on the underside of the wings. They have a square tail and fully-feathered legs.
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| Size |
Body length: 79-88cm, Wingspan: 190-227cm, Weight: 3-6kg. Females are much larger than the males. Females can be up to ¼ larger than males.
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| Habitat |
These large raptors prefer mountainous, often treeless, habitats, although they require large trees or rock faces for nesting. As at 2017 around 20 pairs of golden eaglrs regularly nest in the southern isles and North Harris has one of the densest populations of golden eagles in Western Europe.
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| Food |
Golden eagles hunt medium-sized mammals, such as rodents, rabbits, hares and young deer. They also hunt birds (particularly grouse), and occasionally feed on reptiles. They often feed on carrion (particularly sheep and lambs).
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| Voice |
Golden eagles are not very vocal but they will sometimes emit a barking call or a twee-o cry.
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| Breeding |
These birds build huge nests to which they may return for several breeding years. Females lay1-4 eggs, and both parents incubate them for 40 to 45 days. Typically, one or two young survive to fledge in about three months..
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| Misc. Info |
The golden eagles are extremely swift and agile - they dive upon their quarry at speeds of more than 150 miles (241 kilometres) per hour. Golden eagles use their speed and sharp talons to snatch up rabbits, ground squirrels and similar etc.. These birds are protected by law. These birds have exceptionally good eyesight. THey can live up to 32 years.
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