Golden Eagle

The Golden Eagle is a large eagle, one of the largest in the world, with its wingspan exceeding 2 meters and the weight exceeding 5 kg. It is well proportioned and can make it appear smaller than it really is. It has a silhouette which is reminiscent from afar of a buzzard with its long 6-fingered wings. The wings are long and wide and the length of the tail is approximately equivalent to the width of the wing. The dark brown plumage appears fairly uniform from afar. The adult can be recognized by the reddish brown of the nape and back of the neck, a color which formerly earned it the name of the Golden Eagle. Furthermore, the medium chamois coverings on the wings form two clearly visible pale areas in flight and when perched. The primary and rectrix feathers have a clear base, which is strongly barred and a dark tip, which is easily visible in flight. When perched, note the large size of the bird, the strength of its talons and its oblique slit nostrils. The sexes differ only in size. The juvenile has darker brown plumage, with three very clearly visible white patches, formed by the base of the primary and rectrix feathers, which are very striking. It will take many years (from 5 to 8) for it to acquire the adult plumage and successive molts will gradually lighten the plumage and blur the light patches on its wings and tail. The Golden Eagle can be confused with other large eagles, but especially with the adult Spanish and Imperial Eagles in their respective habitats. These differ by their slightly different silhouette, particularly with a shorter and rounder tail, and mostly by their particular plumage characteristics (a more contrasted head with a brown-black face and a beige-cream nape and variable but highly visible white spots on the shoulders).