This huge bird of prey, second only to the white tailed eagle in the UK, has a wingspan of over two metres and can live in the wild for thirty years or more.
This huge bird of prey, second only to the white tailed eagle in the UK, has a wingspan of over two metres and can live in the wild for thirty years or more. The golden eagle can be found across much of the world in remote mountain ranges, from Alaska to Mexico and Europe to Japan. In the UK the golden eagle is found only in the wild moorlands and mountains of Scotland, though a few are resident in the English lake district and a reintroduction scheme is underway in Ireland. There is a table population of around 440 breeding pairs in the UK.
The golden eagle likes to soar and glide on rising air currents across it’s territory which may have been used by many generations of bird. In the past this bird has suffered persecution, illegal killing, poisoning and theft of eggs from their nests. The golden eagle feeds on medium sized mammals, rabbits, hares, hedgehogs, young deer and foxes.