Difference between revisions of "Field Guide/Birds/Aquila chrysaetos"

Latest revision as of 19:09, 5 July 2012

Aquila chrysaetos (Golden Eagle)
Golden Eagle	Range
	Adult and juvenile
Description
The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. A pair of Golden Eagles remains together for life. They build several eyries within their territory and use them alternately for several years. The nest consists of heavy tree branches, upholstered with grass. Old eyries may be 2 meters in diameter and 1 meter in height, as the eagles enlarge their nests every year. If the eyrie is situated on a tree, supporting tree branches may break because of the weight of the nest. The female lays two eggs between January and May (depending on the area). After 45 days the young hatch. They are entirely white and are fed for fifty days before they are able to make their first flight attempts and eat on their own. In most cases only the older chick, which takes most of the food, survives, while the younger one dies without leaving the eyrie. Adult Golden Eagles have an average length of 75-85 cm, a wingspan of 150-210 cm, and a weight of 3-5 kg. As in all birds of prey, the females are generally slightly larger than the males. The plumage colors range from black-brown to dark brown, with a striking golden-buff crown and nape, which give the bird its name. The juveniles resemble the adults, but have a duller more mottled appearance. Also they have a white-banded tail and a white patch at the carpal joint, that gradually disappear with every moult until full adult plumage is reached in the fifth year. Golden Eagles often have a division of labor while hunting: one partner drives the prey to its waiting partner. They have very good eyesight and can spot prey from a long distance. The talons are used for killing and carrying the prey, the beak is used only for eating. The talons of a Golden Eagle are thought to be more powerful than the hand and arm strength of any human being.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Taxobox_begin | color = pink | name = Golden Eagle}}
+{{Bird id
-{{Taxobox_image | image = [[Image:Goldie.JPG|Golden Eagle|200px]] | caption =}}
+| name = Golden Eagle
-{{Taxobox_begin_placement | color = pink}}
+| latin_name = Aquila chrysaetos
-{{Taxobox_regnum_entry | taxon = [[Animal]]ia}}
+| level = 4
-{{Taxobox_phylum_entry | taxon = [[Chordate|Chordata]]}}
+| image_1 = GoldenEagle-Nova.jpg
-{{Taxobox_classis_entry | taxon = [[Bird|Aves]]}}
+| caption_1 = Golden Eagle
-{{Taxobox_ordo_entry | taxon = [[Falconiformes]]}}
+| image_2 =
-{{Taxobox_familia_entry | taxon = [[Accipitridae]]}}
+| caption_2 = Adult Golden Eagle in flight
-{{Taxobox_genus_entry | taxon = '''''[[Eagle|Aquila]]'''''}}
+| image_3 = Golden eagle.jpg
-{{Taxobox_species_entry | taxon = '''''chrysaetos'''''}}
+| caption_3 = Adult and juvenile
-{{Taxobox_end_placement}}
+| range_map = Aquila_chrysaetos_dis(Aiger).png
-{{Taxobox_section_binomial | color = pink | binomial_name = Aquila chrysaetos | author = [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]] | date = [[1758]]}}
+| range_map_caption = World distribution of the golden eagle<br>Light green  = Nesting area <br> Blue = Wintering area <br> Dark green = All year distribution
-{{Taxobox_end}}
+| description = The '''Golden Eagle''' (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere.
-The '''Golden Eagle''' (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is one of the best known [[bird of prey|birds of prey]] in the world. Like all [[eagle]]s, it belongs to the family [[Accipitridae]].
+A pair of Golden Eagles remains together for life. They build several eyries within their territory and use them alternately for several years. The nest consists of heavy tree branches, upholstered with grass.
-Once the Golden Eagle lived in all temperate [[Europe]], North [[Asia]], [[North America]], North [[Africa]] and [[Japan]]. In most areas this bird now is a mountain-dweller, but in former centuries it was also distributed in the plains and the forests.
+Old eyries may be {{units|2 meters|6.6 ft}} in diameter and {{units|1 meter|3.3 ft}} in height, as the eagles enlarge their nests every year. If the eyrie is situated on a tree, supporting tree branches may break because of the weight of the nest.
-There was a great decline in Central Europe, where the Golden Eagle now is restricted to the [[Alps]]. In [[Great Britain|Britain]], there are about 500 birds left in the [[Scotland|Scottish]] highlands. In North America the situation is not as dramatic, but there has been a noticeable decline as well. Efforts are also being made to re-introduce the species in [[Ireland]], where they had been extinct since the early 20th Century. 35 birds have been released into the wild since [[2001]].
+The female lays two eggs between January and May (depending on the area). After 45 days the young hatch. They are entirely white and are fed for fifty days before they are able to make their first flight attempts and eat on their own. In most cases only the older chick, which takes most of the food, survives, while the younger one dies without leaving the eyrie.
-[[Image:GoldenEagle-Nova.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A five year-old American Golden Eagle.]]A pair of Golden Eagles build several eyries within their territory. They use them alternately for several years. The nest consists of heavy tree branches, upholstered with grass.
+Adult Golden Eagles have an average length of {{units|75-85 cm|30-34"}}, a wingspan of {{units|150-210 cm|59-83"}}, and a weight of {{units|3-5 kg|7-11 lb}}. As in all birds of prey, the females are generally slightly larger than the males.
-Old eyries may be 2 metres in diameter and 1 metre in height, as the eagles enlarge their nests every year. If the eyrie is situated on a tree it may happen that the supporting tree branches break because of the weight of the nest.
+The plumage colors range from black-brown to dark brown, with a striking golden-buff crown and nape, which give the bird its name. The juveniles resemble the adults, but have a duller more mottled appearance. Also they have a white-banded tail and a white patch at the carpal joint, that gradually disappear with every moult until full adult plumage is reached in the fifth year.
-The female lays two eggs between January and May (depending on the area). After 45 days the youngs hatch. They are entirely white and are fed for fifty days before they are able to make their first flight attempts and eat on their own. In most cases only the older chick survives, while the younger one dies before leaving the eyrie.
+Golden Eagles often have a division of labor while hunting: one partner drives the prey to its waiting partner. They have very good eyesight and can spot prey from a long distance. The talons are used for killing and carrying the prey, the beak is used only for eating. The talons of a Golden Eagle are thought to be more powerful than the hand and arm strength of any human being.
+}}<noinclude>[[Category:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Transcluded Modules|{{FULLCHAPTERNAME}}]]</noinclude>
-The couple remains together for life. They often have a division of labour while hunting: one partner drives the prey to its waiting partner. The prey is [[marmot]]s, [[hare]]s and [[mouse|mice]], sometimes [[bird]]s, [[marten]]s, [[fox]]es and young [[deer]]. Large [[mammal]]s like [[chamois]] or adult deer can only be taken if they are wounded or sick.
-Adult Golden Eagles have an average length of 75-85 cm (30-34"), a wingspan of 175-200 cm (70-80"), and a weight of 3 to 5 kg. As in all birds of prey, the females are generally slightly larger than the males.
-In Central Asia, Golden Eagles sometimes are trained for [[falconry]], and in [[Kazakhstan]] there are still hunters using these eagles in order to catch deer and antelopes.
-==Links==
-*[http://www.panoraama.com/live/maakotka/ Live Eagle camera]
-[[Image:Hunting with Golden Eagles .jpg|thumb|The trained hunting Burgut - Golden Eagle - of Eastern Turkestan. 1870s]]
-[[Image:Golden Eagle (small illustration).jpg|thumb|]]
-{{commons|Aquila chrysaetos}}
-There are five [[subspecies]] of Golden Eagle:
-* '''Eurasian Golden Eagle''' (''A. c. chrysaetos'')
-* '''American Golden Eagle''' (''A. c. canadensis'')
-* '''Spanish Golden Eagle''' (''A. c. homeryi'')
-* '''Japanese Golden Eagle''' (''A. c. japonica'')
-* '''Russian Berkut''' (''A. c. daphanea'')
-[[Category:Fauna of the Alps]]
-[[Category:Eagles]]
-[[bg:Скален орел]]
-[[da:Kongeørn]]
-[[de:Steinadler]]
-[[es:Águila real]]
-[[eo:Reĝa aglo]]
-[[fi:Maakotka]]
-[[fr:Aigle royal]]
-[[fy:Keningsearn]]
-[[gl:Aguia real]]
-[[ja:イヌワシ]]
-[[lt:Kilnusis erelis]]
-[[nl:Steenarend]]
-[[pl:Orzeł przedni]]
-[[sl:Planinski orel]]
-[[sv:Kungsörn]]