Golden eagle

Golden eagle
Aquila chrysaetos, Linnaeus, 1758

A majestic bird from the Accipitridae family; it hunts mammals the size of a hare, sometimes even as big as foxes; also birds, reptiles, amphibians; but carrion satisfies its needs, too. The golden eagle can be spotted on high rock shelves, from which it looks for prey, having found which it dives in the air, speeding up to 320 km/h in order to catch its victim. During the flight, it attacks less often. These eagles sometimes hunt in twos, but never in bigger groups. They are monogamous; once they pair up, they do a mating flight, informing other birds about the scope of their area, which can be up to 100 km² large. It is common that eagles have a few nests in one area, which they switch yearly for hatching. The female lays two eggs, which she then broods alone.
Distribution: Europe, Asia, North Africa, North America

male / female
body length: 65–100 cm
wingspan: 150–240 cm
body mass: 2,8–4,5 kg / 3,8–6,7 kg