Although the majestic Golden Eagle is not Britain’s largest eagle nor the rarest, it has a certain powerful resonance in the British psyche as an enduring symbol of strength and wildness.

DESCRIPTION
The Golden Eagle is one of the most magnificent birds of prey in the UK. They have a wing span of 190-227cm and weigh 3-6kg, with females being much larger than the males.
It takes between 5-6 years for a golden Eagle to reach maturity at which time they develop the golden feathers around their head and neck.
These raptors prefer mountainous, often treeless habitats, although they require large trees or rock faces for nesting.
They can remain in the air for hours at a time and have a graceful, soaring flight with wing tips slightly up turned, they average at around 30mph but can attain speeds of 80mph. With exceptionally good eyesight, they will spot prey and dive down to catch it. Sometimes golden eagles will hunt in pairs, with one bird chasing the prey to exhaustion and then the other swooping in and catching it. They hunt prey such as rodents, rabbits, hare and young deer.

Conservation Status
During the 18th and 19th centuries there was a widespread persecution of the Golden eagle, this led to the UK population reaching a low of just 80 breeding pairs by 1870. The main threats were poisoning and eggs collecting, unfortunately despite legal protection, isolated incidents of both still occur today. Commercial tree planting is also thought to be a threat due to the disruption of habitat and this appears to have been the factor leading to the loss of a number of breeding pairs in Argyll and Kintyre in the early 1990’s.
This species is now protected (as with all birds) under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. As a result of the listing of this bird under Annex1 of the EC bird’s directive, eight sites in Scotland have been designated as special protection areas in order to protect the golden Eagle.

Scotland is home to almost all the UK breeding population of Golden eagles, which 11 years ago was an estimated 422 pairs. In fact England has just one breeding pair. The most recent survey ran from January through to late July 2003 and revealed that the UK population is now up to 431 pairs.

Golden Eagle – Aquila chrysaetos