Just as the lion is the king of the jungle, the Golden Eagle is the queen of the air. It has an extremely elegant flight, it is probably the greatest predator of all airs, in addition to being the most powerful and largest bird of prey that can exist, not to mention that it is the main symbol of the United Mexican States. Below you can have more information and expand your knowledge about the Characteristics of the Golden Eagle.
Golden Eagle
These great eagles belong to the family of birds of prey, which is called Accipitridae, this is a great and wide category of birds, which in many cases are not related to each other. Following the origin of this golden eagle, there are more than 60 species of eagles in general, which are distributed in Asia, Europe and different parts of Africa, outside these regions you can find at least 14 species of eagles, two of they are fairly well known in the United States and Canada, another nine species are easy to find in Central and South America, not to mention that the remaining three are in Australia.
Regarding the taxonomy of this great animal, it is found that the scientific name of the Golden Eagle is Aquila Chrysaetos, it is also regularly called the Caudal Eagle. As previously said, this is part of the Accipitridae family, a species which lives in the northern hemisphere of the planet. Many people also tend to call it the Mexican Royal Eagle, due to its appearance as the main symbol of the Mexican flag.
Features
To identify a golden eagle, you must have prior knowledge of its two main characteristics, these are its large size and the unique color of its plumage. This same characteristic plumage is very dark brown, with different much lighter feathers and, around its neck and head, they have feathers that reach a golden color.
The color of its feathers is quite recognized for its great beauty, especially when the light hits it directly and very bright tones can be seen, which are very impressive. For this reason, the Golden Eagle is also popularly called the Golden Eagle. We can also find white feathers under its body and on its legs, in addition subspecies of this eagle have been seen with totally white legs.
Anatomy
The Golden Eagle has a great anatomy that allows it to be one of the most powerful birds in the world and, for scientists, to be a perfect animal, since the Golden Eagle is also used to help farmers and is also used to carry out various scientific studies.
Weight :
We can begin to describe the anatomy of this majestic bird starting with its weight. The Aquila Chrysaetos has a weight that is within the average considering its gender. It should be mentioned that in this species, as in others, it will be observed that the males are regularly smaller than the females. It should be noted that this phenomenon is called "dimorphism" according to the sex of the animal.
Males usually weigh between 4 – 4.5 kg, as long as they are in their habitat or in an ecosystem previously thought for them. The females usually reach up to 6 kg, in their adult stage, and as long as they are in the correct conditions for their optimal development. As can be seen in the examples, the difference between males and females is only between 2 – 3 kg.
Wingspan
Regarding the size of the Golden Eagle, it is important to first take into account that when talking about this, the total size of the bird must be taken into account, from its head to the end of its plumage, and its extension between each of the wings. Compared to other species in this category, the Golden Eagle has a large size. They can measure up to a meter long, which is subjective and depends on the sex of the bird.
To have the correct number of the size of the Golden Eagle, it must open both wings, here we can find measures that can exceed two meters, and even approaching two and a half meters. This amazes anyone who has seen them in full flight, due to their enormous size when they open their wings.
plumage and flight
The plumage of these eagles can vary depending on the sex that it is, since both males and females can observe the characteristic very dark brown color; Despite this, if you look closely, females between the legs and under the wings usually have gray plumage, while males tend to have more whitish plumage, a color that also appears on the nape and at the tips of the wings.
As seen, the Golden Eagle has a fairly delicate flight, although it can even be called an elegant flight. Their average speed is generally between 45 – 55 kilometers per hour. Despite the fact that these can impressively reach 240 kilometers when they are hunting, this impressive speed is given by the great aerodynamic physiognomy that it possesses.
The wings of the Golden Eagle make an ideal combination with the great wingspan that this bird has, this allows it to have an almost perfect balance and planning. At the moment that this bird begins its flight, it achieves a singular harmony between its flapping and its rise, which makes it majestic.
beak and claws
One of the points that most differentiates the Golden Eagle is its particular beak, this has a totally black color, which begins to turn white and ends with a very intense yellow. Being a bird of prey, it has a beak with a sharp edge and a pronounced downward curve. Its beak is perfectly designed to hunt and dismember any prey, the older the eagle is, its curve is more pronounced, it can even hurt its chest.
When looking at its claws, you can see how sharp they are, which allows the eagle to capture its prey with greater ease and precision, putting in them the most effective amount of damage possible in the first instant. These claws can have a strength and power that exceeds ten times the strength of a male human hand. Being able to consider them as a lethal weapon.
Food
When analyzing the feeding of the Golden Eagle, it can be detailed how they do not have a fixed diet, which indicates that any animal can be among their victims, since these are carnivores, in fact, according to different records there are more than 200 species of mammals and birds that have been on its food list, making it one of the most dangerous animals in all of nature.
Like many other eagles, the Golden Eagle can feed on rabbits, squirrels, mice and even some fish. Despite this, due to its great hunting power, the Golden Eagle can hunt from lambs to small foxes. It is a fearful bird, if it is hungry it will not lose the opportunity to hunt even other birds in mid-flight.
Hunting
The way in which this eagle hunts is quite interesting when analyzed, it begins its process with a low and slightly slower flight, it approaches the slopes of the mountain to reconnoiter the area, which can be up to 100 km² . Thanks to its great vision, it can visualize its prey several kilometers away, after having identified it, it makes a free fall at impressive speeds, which ends in an effective and surprising attack.
Using its sharp talons the eagle makes sure that its prey does not escape on first contact. The claws of this eagle can have a force of 200 kilograms for every inch of pressure, it can even reach 340 kilograms, which is fabulous. In the event that the prey can escape, the eagle will follow it using its claws to cut it and also using its sharp beak, until it is enough to take it to its nest.
It should be noted that the approximate weight of the Golden Eagle's prey can be between half a kilogram and four kilograms, the eagle can travel even with prey weighing greater than its own. When it hunts much larger animals such as morrocoyes or goats, the eagle lifts them up and drops them to a great height, which kills them instantly and saves the effort of tearing them apart. When prey is too heavy, the eagle eats what it can in the hunting ground before going to its nest.
Obviously, when the prey is smaller, they kill it and take it to the nest very easily, even for several days. According to different studies about these majestic eagles, it has been possible to record moments where these eagles are hunting together, which is incredible in the eyes of a human, and it can also be observed how they chase their prey until finally exhausting it, just at which point they attack.
Environment and Distribution
The Golden Eagle is a bird that, since its appearance many years ago, has developed an extraordinary ability to adapt to different environments, with different climates. This makes it so easy to find them around each of the five continents today. On a regular basis, they tend to be found in different open or semi-open areas, in any case, it will always be an area where they will be able to see their prey well, be able to fly freely, and have a good plan of the sky and the earth. especially when searching for food
As a result of the latter, the eagle will prefer places with a great diversity of mammals, all this in order to undertake a balanced diet and satisfy its vast appetite. Based on the region of the world where they inhabit, six subspecies are currently classified:
- Homeyeri: Throughout the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa
- Chrysaetos: Located throughout Europe and Asia
- Daphanea: Inhabits Central Asia
- Japonica: Found in both Korea and Japan
- Kamtschatica: It lives in Siberia
- Canadensis: It is the species throughout North America
Regarding the adaptation process of the Golden Eagle, they tend to nest quite close to mountainous areas, mainly they are always high places, well above different more arboreal areas, which prevents them from having a good view of their prey and also to that humans cannot reach them.
This great species of eagle, over time, has been distributed throughout Europe and Asia, even being able to reach Africa, in the northern part of the continent. But despite this, it is in the United States where it has had a greater proliferation, due to the great density of nesting and reproduction of the species.
The Golden Eagle is not usually a very easy bird to see on a regular basis, but as it is part of migratory processes, some populations tend to become so. This more than anything in times of reproduction and nesting; As a result of climates below 0 °C in places like Russia or Alaska, these eagles tend to migrate to places further south, to maintain an ideal temperature, but the main reason is the abundance of food in the southernmost areas. However, the eagles that previously lived in these areas do not usually make this migration.
Behavior
This species of eagle is usually quite solitary, they only live in pairs or quite small groups. In the latter case, it is usually due to a great abundance of food, or extreme cold temperatures, which forces them to shelter among themselves. It is important to mention that these birds do not usually have vocal communication, only in the breeding stage; different studies have been able to capture different calls of the eagles to communicate with their young.
As for their own defense or when marking their territory, it has been shown that these eagles do not emit any sound, they only make a very characteristic form of flight, which is classified as undulating, when making this flight it makes it very clear that this it is their territory.
Courtship
Although this bird is quite solitary, one of its main social characteristics is that monogamy predominates, since they tend to live with a single partner for many years. It is quite easy to know when these eagles are courting, because when the breeding season begins, the courtships begin immediately, the males usually make different types of quite unique flights, in waves, perfect turns and even simulated chases.
Apart from demonstrating their flight skills, they also highlight their claws and perform different feats to demonstrate their skills, among them you can see how they grab stone and drop it to catch it before it hits the ground. These eagles put on an incredible show, all to impress the females and get them to breed.
Once this courtship phase is over, the pairs prepare to choose the ideal place to build their nest. As previously stated, they always choose very high places with great visibility, such as rocks. The nests of golden eagles are built in close relation to their size, which indicates that they are quite large nests, in addition to the fact that they are built with the intention of using it for many years.
The realization of this nest, in the case of this species of eagle, due to its characteristic beak, they cannot weave nests; what they do is, place the branches in a perfect and orderly way in order to facilitate the structure of the nest, after this they put different herbs to shape it and make it more welcoming for themselves.
Reproduction
The type of reproduction that the Golden Eagle presents is oviparous, which indicates that they give birth by laying eggs, despite this, the reproduction and incubation period varies a lot depending on the area where they are found. Females can lay up to four eggs, although the average tends to be two eggs, laid at intervals of about three to five days. The entire incubation process begins from the laying of the first egg, and ends in an approximate period of 40 to 45 days.
The small chicks of these eagles are born with soft white plumage, and regularly the first ones to hatch are larger than those that hatch last. After their birth, for the next ten weeks these little pups will be fully fed from the beak of their parents, who also take turns foraging for food and caring for their own pups.
After the tenth week, the young begin to learn to fly and later, once they have the characteristic feathers of the Golden Eagle, they will begin to become independent to begin their learning in terms of hunting. The reproductive stage of these little eagles begins after approximately four or seven years, after their plumage has already reached an adult stage and their growth has advanced a lot.
State and Conservation of the species
For many years the Golden Eagle has been a persevering inhabitant of North America, Northern Europe and Asia, despite this, these eagles have migrated to areas further south for different reasons. Among them is the fact that these are used for falconry, and are also victims of indiscriminate hunting, due to the great fondness for the beak, claws and plumage of this majestic bird.
To date, there are different regions where they want to introduce these species, such as in Ireland or in Nordic countries such as Denmark and Sweden. It is important to mention that in the United States, this bird does not face major threats because it is protected by the law of that country.
Threats
Having a role of being a predatory bird, it does not have many enemies in nature, despite this, the Grizzly bear and the wolverine are the only ones that have been able to give it a great fight on different occasions. However, it cannot be ignored that humans themselves are the greatest threat to the Golden Eagle, due to the constant desire to hunt them and invade their habitat to capture their eggs.
A very determining factor in the conservation of this species is all the displacement that these birds have had to undertake, due to the invasion of their habitat for the expansion of the urban planning of specific cities, one of the things that has caused this is that the eagles get electrocuted because of the different electrical systems found in their habitat.
Although the Golden Eagle is protected under the laws of the United States and Mexico, an international law has also been created that criminalizes the possession or distribution of this eagle, at any age and without a special transfer permit. Favorably, this species is not in danger of extinction due to its high capacity to adapt to any climate or region of the world, however, if the invasion of its habitat continues to grow, there is a risk of irreversibly affecting this species. species.
Connection with Human Culture
The Golden Eagle is a bird that has been since the beginning of humanity as we know it, for this reason, throughout history it has had great significance for different civilizations, and in different stages of history, probably beginning its history as a symbol from the XNUMXst century after Christ.
symbology
In past centuries, the Golden Eagle was a clear symbol of bravery and honor, all this in relation to its great dexterity, size, strength and the cunning with which it builds its nests. In times of the Roman Empire, between the first and fourth century after Christ, the Royal Eagle became a fervent symbol related to religion, politics and military, since this bird became the main symbol of the Empire, and With the passing of all the years, it also became the emblem of different empires, forever being the main banner of each one of them.
Politics
Throughout history, the Golden Eagle has been the national animal and the symbol of different countries throughout the globe, we have the clear examples of Albania, Austria, Germany, Kazakhstan and where it is probably more famous, Mexico. In addition to all these countries, this bird is the symbol of many countries, which have not named it a national animal.
We clearly have the case of Mexico, where the history of this great bird, the Golden Eagle, is discussed, where it had finally been decided to build Mexico City, in which a Golden Eagle would be found, standing on top of a cactus feeding on a snake. You can also see the Arab countries, where they have the tradition of glorifying the Golden Eagle as a symbol of power, more than anything else in poetry, all this due to the famous reading of Saladin. It should be noted that, in Mexico, despite being the national animal, this same bird is in danger of extinction.
Religion
In the Catholic religion, the Royal Eagle is a symbol, which represents the youngest apostle, Saint John, even at the time it was Pope Alexander VI who authorized the Catholic kings of Spain in the fifteenth century to place the Eagle of Saint John like the coat of arms of the monarchy.
When exploring different aboriginal ethnic groups, it is observed how they venerate the Golden Eagle. In the religious aspect they are seen as sacred animals, since the beautiful and characteristic feathers of these birds are a greater representation of this bird within the headdresses and the way of dressing of these indigenous people. They could be considered so sacred that they could be compared to the Bible, or even to the crucifix.
It is very important to mention the great relevance of this bird within the Aztec culture, since it represents the wisdom, the vision and also the courage with which many members of this culture identified themselves by their great feats, actions or even , thoughts.
stamps
The majestic and beautiful Golden Eagle is the eighth most used bird throughout the planet to represent different postage stamps. It is worth mentioning that in the United States it is essential and emblematic to have a stamp with the face of this bird, a stamp which is considered a collector's item.
Falconry
As stated above, eagles have always been considered very imposing and incredibly powerful birds, previously in the Middle Ages they were used to hunt and sustain the falconer's food, but first it was necessary to catch the bird, once this is done the process is undertaken of special training or domination, so that these birds learn to do all these feats and activities.
Falconry is part of an extremely old tradition, dating back to 2.000 years ago, in Asian countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan or Mongolia, a unique modality in the world at that time. According to different historians, the very small villages depended entirely on the skill of the master falconer or as it is called in this region, Berkutchi, and his majestic and deadly bird. This teacher was responsible for supplying the meat and skins to the entire village, especially when winter comes, when food is scarcer.
Falconry and also all the art of hunting with birds of prey, is a practice that goes back many years, and over the years it has been developed mainly throughout Eurasia, starting primarily from Central Europe. , crossing the entire Arabian Peninsula, China and finally Korea.
It is worth noting that in Kazakhstan petroglyphs (drawings embodied in stone) have been found with figures of falconers that date back to at least the first millennium of our era, and the magnificent epic stories which are related in legendary poems from Turkey and Mongolia from the XNUMXth century have continued to collect all these activities that are still alive today.
In different areas of this part of Asia, there are different Kyrgyz and Kazakh ethnic groups distributed throughout their native countries, and thus also in the territories of Mongolia, Hong Kong and China, which stand out in a great way for the training and the great management of these golden eagles to help them survive. All this training and the falconry use of this great and majestic species is a unique characteristic of this area, and it does not occur in such a way anywhere on the globe.
The Eagle within the life cycle
As for everything related to the life cycle of these birds, it can be seen how the eagles of prey, including the Golden Eagle, are positioned at the beginning of the food chain, since for these eagles, any animal is a potential dam. This is where the great importance of the Golden Eagle lies, it helps to preserve the natural balance regarding the reproduction of certain types of animals, such as mice, rats and also rabbits, whose main characteristic is that they tend to reproduce uncontrolled way.
According to different studies about golden eagles, these are considered birds so, but so perfect, that in terms within ecology these are called "ecological barometers", all because of their behavior, which helps scientists to determine and understand the healthy of any specific habitat. Even these majestic birds can become so sensitive that they are able to detect any component of any chemical invasion or any level of contamination, giving them a fairly early warning of any threat that may be in the air.
When analyzing the area of agriculture, the great appreciation that these same farmers have for these great birds is evident, this appreciation comes from the fact that there are different animals in the diet of the Golden Eagle, which can be harmful and harmful to all the great food crops for the human race. To this day, farmers who are in areas near golden eagle nests are given different instructions to learn how to interact beneficially with the signals of this important bird.
If the specific farmer achieves this great harmony and harmony with the Golden Eagle, it could bring him impressive benefits, such as the fact of not using any type of chemical pesticide again that can damage a good part of the harvest, supplanting this same pesticide by the cunning of this bird, and thus manage to maintain a perfect harvest, free of chemicals, applying a completely spontaneous and natural method.
Fun Fact
Within the information that can be found about the majestic Golden Eagle, there is information about the longevity that this eagle can live, it is well known that these eagles can live up to 70 years of age, but for this to happen , it is necessary for the bird to undertake a due process of renewal at the age of 40 years.
As the Golden Eagles become longer their beak grows, there comes a point where it becomes extremely long, so much so that it can get curved in such a way that this beak hurts the eagle's own chest, in addition to this, with the advanced With age, their claws become impressively long, which makes them quite heavy and they are no longer linear and much less effective at capturing prey.
Then, the feathers tend to get heavier and heavier, which makes the eagle lose its aerodynamics, its agility in its flight is severely affected and it becomes much slower when hunting. According to different sources of information, the Golden Eagle has the decision between renewing itself or dying, for all this to be done, the eagle must go to a completely secluded place to undertake this long process of renewal, a process which can even last up to 150 days.
This is a difficult process for the eagles, due to the amount of time that this entails, and because they must retreat to a mountain, which must be very far away and at a great height, where hunting is facilitated, because there they will find snakes, lizards and lizards that will allow you a good diet during the time you spend in the mountains.
With its large and sharp beak, the eagle cuts its long claws, until they are very short, then it will remove the denser feathers affected by its great longevity, which take away its agility, it finishes removing its feathers until you have as few as possible.
During all the time that its claws and plumage take to grow, the Golden Eagle is only in charge of providing itself with food and then hitting its beak against the rocks of the mountain, it hits itself until its beak falls completely, once this has happened , the eagle waits the necessary time for its new beak to finish growing equal to or more beautiful and majestic than the previous one. Once it is finished, it is a long and arduous process, the Golden Eagle begins its flight and thus begins its journey back home, having at its disposal thirty more years of beautiful life in front of its eyes.
Despite all this, unfortunately there is no scientific evidence that this is really the process that these eagles undertake, but, well, it is a great and wonderful curious fact, a fact which exposes this majestic bird of prey, of great size , strength and power, as a clear example of all human culture.
It can easily be mentioned as another curious fact that there was a subspecies of the Golden Eagle, which was called Aquila chrysaetos simurgh. This is currently a subspecies which is completely extinct, which had a large size, this subspecies inhabited the world in the Pleistocene and the initial Holocene starting from the island of Crete.
Simurgh is one of the many names that were given to the Ruc, which is a mythological bird so giant that, according to the legends and stories that speak about it, this legendary bird is capable of taking an elephant to its nest. and then devour it completely. All this as a result of the fact that on the same island and at that same time there was a little-known subspecies of elephant, which was an elephant which was tiny, it is most likely that when visualizing this bird hunting the offspring of this or The young men of the proboscide in ancient times have generated this famous and ancient legend.
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