Golden eagle (scientific name:Aquila chrysaetos）, alias: Laodiao, Jiudiao, Jinneckdiao, etc[1][2], a bird of the genus Eagle[1]。The body length is between 76~102 cm, and the wings are between 185~220 cm[3][4]。Generally speaking, females are larger than males.Among them, the female bird weighs about 4-6 kg, while the male bird weighs only 3-4. 5 kg[4]。Rich body color, dark brown upper body;The chin, throat and front neck are dark brown[3]。The head is relatively small[31]；Strong and powerful claws, long and wide tail, round[2][31]。
Golden eagles are distributed in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere[30], all over Eurasia, North Africa and North America[4]In China, it is distributed in northeast, northwest, north and southwest China, and occasionally seen in east and south China in winter[7]。It mainly lives in mountain forest and grassland areas, and often moves to forest edge, low mountains and hills, barren slopes and coastal areas in autumn and winter[2]。The bird is a carnivorous bird with a wide feeding habits[9]。
By 2021, the population of golden eagles will be between 85000 and 16000, and the population trend will be stable[9]。In 2021, Golden Eagle was listed in the National Key Protected Wildlife List of China, which is a national first-class protected wild animal[12]。In the same year, it was also included in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species ver3.1[9]。In 2023, the golden eagle was listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)[13]。The golden eagle is one of the rare birds and raptors in the wetland. Its feathers have high value, so it has ornamental, economic and scientific value[3][6][33]。In addition, the golden eagle is considered to be one of the most ferocious birds of prey, and its image in ancient times is related to the sun[5]。
Chinese name
Golden Eagle
Latin name
Aquila chrysaetos[1]
Alias
Old sculpture[1][2]、Vulture carving[1][2]、Golden Neck Carving[1][2]
Distributed in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere[30], all over Eurasia, North Africa and North America[4]In China, it is distributed in northeast, northwest, north and southwest China, and occasionally seen in east and south China in winter[7]
Named by and date
In 1758, Swedish naturalist Linnaeus[1]
Protection level
In 2021, the golden eagle will be listed in the List of National Key Protected Wildlife in China, which is classified as national first-class protected wildlife[12]
Body length
76~105cm[3]
Weight
3 to 6 kg[4]
Field identification characteristics
With rich body color, the upper body is dark brown;The chin, throat and front neck of the lower body are dark brown[3]。The head is smaller than its body[31]；With hard and powerful claws, long and wide tail, round tail[2][31]
Habitat environment
They should live in mountainous forest and grassland areas, and often go to the forest edge, low mountains and hills, barren slopes and coastal areas in autumn and winter[2]
Feeding habits
Carnivorous[7]
season rhythm
Seasonal migration of some gold carving tools may occur in spring or autumn[4][14][31]
Reproductive time
They usually breed from March to August. If they live in the south, they usually breed in November. If they live in the north, they will breed in April at the latest[4][9]
Natural enemy
Few natural enemies, but mink bears（Gulo gulo）And brown bear（Ursus arctos）It can prey on its chicks[4]
Key values
As this bird is one of the rare birds in the wetland and one of the raptors, and its feather value is high, it has ornamental value, economic value and scientific research value[3][6][33]
Population quantity
In 2021, the population of golden eagles will be between 85000 and 16000[9]
According to the fossil record, the genus of carvings that lived in the famous Rancho La Brea in Los Angeles during the Pleistocene（Aquila）It is the direct ancestor of golden eagle.The biggest difference between the Pleistocene gold carving and the modern gold carving is the skull shape.The skull of the Pleistocene golden eagle is low, flat and wide. The structure of the upper and lower mandibles is stronger, and the beak is also stronger[27]。In addition, some Pleistocene golden eagle fossils have been found, such as the golden eagle subspecies discovered by American scientist Mourer Chauvire in 1975（Aquila chrysaetos bonifacti）Fossils and another subspecies of golden eagle discovered by American scientist Weesie in 1988（Aquila chrysaetos simurgb）Fossils[29]。
Taxonomic history
In 1758, the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus named the golden eagle for the first time and put it into the genus Falco, whose scientific name isFalco chrysaetos[10]。In 1760, Mathurin Jacques Brisson, a French ornithologist, moved it to the genus Vultura（Aquila）Medium[11]。
Discovery and naming
"Aquila" in the scientific name of golden eagle is translated into "eagle" in Latin, which may be derived from the word "aquilus", while "chrysaetos" is derived from the word "khrusos" in ancient Greek, which is translated into "golden eagle"[18]。In addition, the English name of the bird is "Golden Eagle"[31]It also has other nicknames such as Laodiao, Jiudiao, Jinneckdiao, etc[1][2]。
morphological character
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shape
The golden eagle is a large bird of prey, one of the largest birds in North America[2][31]。The body length is between 76~102 cm, and the wings are between 185~220 cm[3][4]。In addition to the body shape, the male and female birds are similar in shape, and the female birds are generally larger than the male birds.Among them, the female bird weighs about 4-6 kg, while the male bird weighs only 3-4. 5 kg[4]。
Body color
The golden carvings are colorful.The forehead and cephalic side are dark brown;The feather base of the back head, pillow and neck is dark auburn, the feather tip is golden yellow, with dark brown feather dry lines[3]；The iris is chestnut brown;The beak is black, and the wax film on it is yellow;The mouth end is black, and the base is blue black[4][7-8]。The upper body is dark brown, the shoulder color is light, and the back and shoulder are slightly decorated with purple luster;The chin, throat and front neck of the lower body are black brown, and the feather base is white;The wing coverts are dark auburn, and the feather tip is light auburn[3]；The chest and abdomen are dark brown, the axial lines of feathers are light, the leg covering feathers, tail covering feathers, wing covering feathers and armpit feathers are dark brown, and the leg covering feathers have red longitudinal lines;Yellow toes, black claws, tarsometatarsal feathers;The tail feathers are light brown, the tip is nearly dark brown, and the tail feathers are gray brown, with irregular dark gray brown horizontal spots or stripes and a wide dark brown end spot[3][8]；The tail feathers are light brown, the tip is nearly dark brown, and the tail feathers are gray brown, with irregular dark gray brown horizontal spots or stripes and a wide dark brown end spot[3]。
Overall body color of gold carving
Feathers on the back head, pillow and neck of golden eagle
Other characteristics
The head of the golden eagle is relatively small[31], big and hard beak[4][7-8]；The feathers on the back head, pillow and neck are sharp and lanceolate[2]；Strong and powerful claws, long and wide tail, round[2][31]。
Gold carving head and beak
Golden claw
Adult juvenile differences
The body color of golden eagles is similar to that of adults, but the body color of young birds is darker.The first young bird's tail feathers are white, with wide black end spots, and the inner base of the feather is white, forming white spots under the wings;After the second year, the white spots at the tail and under the wing gradually decreased, and the color of under the tail coverts gradually changed from brown to auburn, and finally to dark auburn[4][7][32]。
Habitat environment
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Golden eagles widely inhabit open or semi open areas, usually above the tree line, with an altitude ranging from sea level to 4000 meters.The habitat types include tundra, shrub, grassland, woodland shrub and coniferous forest.This species mainly inhabits mountain forests and grasslands, and also often moves to forest edges, low mountains and hills, barren slopes and coastal areas in autumn and winter[2][4][9]。Their habitat usually avoids urban and suburban areas, and they usually do not live in dense forests[31]。
Distribution range
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Golden eagles are distributed in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere[30]。They are found all over Eurasia, North Africa and North America.In North America, the species is distributed in the western half of the continent from Alaska to central Mexico, as well as in eastern Canada and eastern United States[4]。
In China, golden eagles are distributed in northeast, northwest, north and southwest China, and occasionally in east and south China in winter[7]。
Life habits
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Foraging behavior
The golden eagles have a wide range of food habits. They are carnivorous birds, and can feed on various mammals (Mammalia), birds (Aves), reptiles (Reptilia), amphibians (Amphibian), fish, insects and various carrion.The food they usually eat is between 0.5~4kg[9]。
Golden eagles usually prey in an open or semi open environment[25], often hunting alone, in pairs or in small groups[9]When a pair of golden eagles hunt together, one usually chases the prey to exhaustion, and the other kills them by high-speed diving.The golden eagle is a swift predator, with a dive speed of 322 kilometers per hour.In addition, they can also prey by diving.Although the birds can prey on large animals, they usually prefer smaller mammals for food.Golden eagle rarely stores food[4][31]。
Predation behavior of golden eagle
Community and family behavior
Adult golden eagles usually act alone or in pairs, and juvenile golden eagles may also act in groups, especially in extreme weather or when food is abundant.The size of the bird's home range, season and habitat quality.Among them, in the breeding season, the activity range of golden eagles living in the western region of the United States is between 20 and 33 square kilometers.In addition, the golden eagle may defend its territory by flying in ups and downs[4]。
rhythm behavior
Some golden eagles have seasonal migration behavior, and their migration distance is usually short or medium distance.For example, gold eagles in Alaska and Canada in North America usually migrate southward in autumn[4][31]The migration of golden eagles in the northern breeding ground usually starts from the middle of August, and usually starts from the middle of October to the middle of December.However, their migration behavior in spring is relatively short, usually from late February to mid May, mostly in mid March[15]。The migration of golden eagles usually takes place at noon.The migration speed in spring is related to the formation;The migration speed in autumn is usually faster in the early stage and slower in the late stage, and the migration distance of male birds is greater than that of female birds[14]。However, golden eagles that live in mild climate areas usually do not migrate[31]。
Other behaviors
Golden eagles have few natural enemies in nature, but mink bears and brown bears can prey on their chicks[4]。
Occasionally, golden eagles communicate by singing, which is mostly related to the feeding of young birds[4]。
The flying speed of Golden Eagle is fast, reaching 80 kilometers per hour, and the average speed is between 28 and 32 kilometers per hour.When they fly, their wings usually spread horizontally with their bodies, and they often spread their wings and hover in high altitude with the help of hot air flow. When they fly, their wings are often raised in a "V" shape, and they usually complete their flight behavior by gliding and flying alternately.They can carry up to 8kg of food during flight[2][4][7]。
Golden eagle flying
Growth and reproduction
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Oviposition and hatching
Golden eagles lay 1-4 eggs each time, usually 2 eggs, one egg every 3-4 days[4][16]。The egg is oval, dirty white or greenish gray, with reddish brown spots and stripes[3]。The incubation period is 35-45 days, with an average of 42 days.The female bird undertakes the main incubation task, and the male bird occasionally participates[4]。
Fledgling development
Nestlings live in nests for about 81 days[31]。Due to differences in body size, older chicks may attack or even kill young chicks.In the first 45 days of chick development, the female will raise chicks and the male will provide food;In 45-81 days, the nestlings gradually began to leave the nest.The chicks will feather and fly about 10 days after birth, and will live independently from their parents within 32-80 days.Golden eagles reach sexual maturity at the age of 4-6 and grow adult bird feathers[4]。
Golden eagle chick
Golden eagle chick
Reproductive behavior and nest site selection
The breeding period of golden eagles is usually from March to August. The breeding period of southern populations can be advanced to November, while that of northern populations can be delayed to April[4][9]。The golden eagle implements a "monogamous" system, and non migratory populations live together all year round, starting nest breeding as early as December;Migratory populations return to breeding grounds for courtship from February to mid April, and courtship behaviors include flying, chasing, diving and circling[4]。
Golden eagles usually have 2-3 nest sites[16], and reuse the same nest all year round. The nest will be renovated before each breeding season, which takes 4-6 weeks.Golden eagles prefer to nest on cliffs, and populations in central and eastern Mongolia also choose ground, trees and even man-made buildings (such as wind turbines and electric towers) to nest[4][9]。The nest is usually 0-107 meters high, consisting of branches and local plant materials. The nest is lined with soft yucca, moss and lichen.If conditions permit, the nest of the golden eagle can be very large, with the maximum record of 6.1 meters high and 2.59 meters wide[4]。
Golden eagle nest and its eggs
Golden eagle egg
Subspecies differentiation
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Quantity and type
By 2024, according to the statistics of the International Integrated Taxonomy Information System (ITIS), there are 6 subspecies under the golden eagle, as follows:[20]
Chinese name
Scientific name
Celebrities and ages
Golden eagle Canadian subspecies
Aquila chrysaetos canadensis
In 1758, Swedish naturalist Linnaeus
Golden eagle named subspecies
Aquila chrysaetos chrysaetos
In 1758, Swedish naturalist Linnaeus
Golden eagle subspecies of Central Asia
Aquila chrysaetos daphanea
In 1888, the Russian taxonomist Severtzov
Golden eagle North African subspecies
Aquila chrysaetos homeyeri
In 1888, the Russian taxonomist Severtzov
Golden eagle Japanese subspecies
Aquila chrysaetos japonica
In 1888, the Russian taxonomist Severtzov
Golden Eagle Kamchatka
Aquila chrysaetos kamtschatica
In 1888, the Russian taxonomist Severtzov
Form and distribution
The following table shows the morphology and distribution of the six subspecies of golden eagle:[19][20][21][22-25][26][27-29]
Chinese name
Form and distribution range
picture
Golden eagle Canadian subspecies
It is distributed in the east of North America.The female bird is larger than the male bird, and the adult male bird has a wing span of 59~64 cm, with an average of 61 cm;The wings of adult female birds are 60~68cm wide, with an average length of 65cm
Golden eagle named subspecies
It is distributed all over Europe (except Iberia Peninsula), extending eastward to Russia, and far to western Siberia
Golden eagle subspecies of Central Asia
It is distributed in Turkey, India and Pakistan;It is distributed in most areas of Xinjiang and Qinghai Province in China.The female bird is larger than the male bird. The average weight of the female bird is 6 kg, while the average weight of the male bird is 4 kg
Golden eagle North African subspecies
Distributed in Iberia Peninsula, etc
Golden eagle Japanese subspecies
Distributed in the Korean Peninsula and Japan
Golden Eagle Kamchatka
Distributed in Siberia;It is distributed in parts of northeast China.The body surface of the golden eagle is very similar to that of the golden eagle, except that its size is different from that of the golden eagle Canadian subspecies
Distinction of recent species
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The white headed sea eagles are very similar to the golden eagles in shape, shape and wing span.It was not until about 1 year old that there was a difference in the shape of the two.Although they are all covered with brown feathers at this time, the belly color of the white headed sea eagles is messy, not as conspicuous as the white feathers of the golden eagles.This similarity has led some birdwatchers to confuse the two[31]。
Golden Eagle
Trigonoceps occipitalis
Protection status
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Protection level
In 2021, the golden eagle will be listed in the List of National Key Protected Wildlife in China, which is classified as national first-class protected wildlife[12]。
In 2021, the golden eagle was listed in ver3.1 of the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species, with the rating of LC[9]。
In 2023, the golden eagle will be listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)[13]。
Population status
In 2015, the global population of golden eagles was between 125000 and 300 thousand[25]。In 2020, its population will only be about 130000.In 2021, the population will be between 85000 and 16000, and the population trend will be stable.Among them, the number of population living in Europe is 19~26000, but its population is on the rise;The population living in North America was relatively stable from 1980 to 2020[9]；According to 2019 statistics, the number of golden eagles of Japanese subspecies is only about 500[30]。
Major threats
In the 19th century, golden eagles were seriously threatened, among which the most important threat was the use of organochlorine pesticides, which had a serious impact on the population of golden eagles.Although these threats have decreased significantly, the golden eagle is still threatened in most of its activities, including poisoning, shooting and trapping. For example, it is reported that the golden eagle in the United States is affected by anticoagulant rodenticide.In Europe, golden eagles are threatened by under grazing or overgrazing, while in North America, golden eagles are threatened by electric shock. According to statistics, about 504 golden eagles are killed by electric shock every year.Wind energy development is also one of the reasons that affect the population of this species, especially the Golden Eagle living in California, which is most seriously affected by wind energy development[9][17]。
In addition, there are other threats that threaten the population of this species, such as the golden eagle living in the Mediterranean area is affected by viral hemorrhagic pneumonia.Climate change, such as drought, may also threaten the population of this species[9]。
protective measures
By 2021, the bird will be protected mainly by formulating relevant laws and regulations, for example, the species has been listed in Annex II of the Convention on the Protection of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), Category 3 of the Raptors MoU, Annex 1 of the EU Birds Directive and Annex II of the Bern Convention.In addition, as of 2018, at least 18 European countries have carried out systematic breeding surveys on this bird[9]。
Key values
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As one of the top predators in the wetland ecosystem, golden eagle has important ecological and scientific value.Wetland ecological indicator Golden eagle is closely related to wetland environment and is very sensitive to habitat change.Its population quantity and distribution can be used as an important indicator for monitoring the health status of wetland ecosystem[33]。
ecological value
As a top predator, golden eagles play a vital role in regulating the number of prey population and maintaining the structure and function of the ecosystem.The research on its feeding habits is helpful to understand the energy flow and material cycle process of wetland ecosystem[33]。
Scientific research value
As a rare bird of prey, the study of its biology, ecology and behavior will help us to understand the evolution and adaptation mechanism of birds of prey and their relationship with the environment[3][6]。
Related culture
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As a large bird of prey, the golden eagle, with its powerful hunting ability and its position as the overlord of the sky, was often associated with the sun in ancient culture.As the "king of the sky", the golden eagle represents the worship of natural gods in the hunting stage of mankind.Together with the "king of land" tiger, it forms a binary opposition belief system of the supreme god, and combines with the sun worship, symbolizing the authority of the highest ruler on earth[5]。
