Golden Eagle
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Description |
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The Golden Eagle is a large-sized bird of prey, with protruding
head, a large tail long almost like the width of its wings. In a
fully-grown specimen, the color is uniform, dark brown with
golden-red tints on the back and the head, while the young ones
have visible white stains on the wings and the tail. During the
circling, the wings are turned up like a very open "V". It
differs from other birds of prey mainly for the remarkable sizes
that in the females can reach 2 meters of wingspan and 6 Kg of
weight. |
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Behaviour |
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During the year the Eagle performs wonderful parades with its
typical “festoon” flight in order to protect its territory and,
in the mating period, for the courtship. The spiral flight is
supported by thermic updraughts that form in the warmer hours.
The hunting flight generally occurs at low altitudes coasting
the sides of the mountains in order to catch the preys. . |
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Feeding |
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The Eagle mainly plunders small and medium sized mammals. In the
Majella National Park territory, this animal feeds on hares, fox
cubs, greek partridges and other medium-sized birds and,
especially in the winter period, carrions too. |
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Habitat |
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Mountain zones, with faces suitable for nest-building, full of
niches and ravines under wide grasslands, where the hunting
takes place. In Majella National Park has been registered the
presence of 4-5 couples. |
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Presence and Sighting |
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The sighting during the flight represents the undisputed
evidence for the presence of Golden Eagle. It can be recognized
from the apical feathers of wings (primary remex) which, during
the flight, look like an open hand. Usually the fully-grown
eagles don’t shout very much, and rarely utter their typical
call "kiok-kiok-kiok" only in the mating period (March-July).
Otherwise the young ones shout much more both before the flight
and when they leave the nest, in order to draw their parents
attention. |
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Life Span |
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The species is rather long-lived. In nature it can reach 15-20
years; while in captivity some specimen even reached 50 years. |
In the park there are 4-5 couples. In the past, this species suffered
illegal killing (poisoned carrions and poaching) and, in certain cases, even
the irreparable alteration of its habitat. However in the last years, thanks
to the Park foundation and to the preservation of wide mountain territories,
the species seems slowly restarting.
In order to protect it, we must largely restrict the negative factors (poaching;
annoyance during the nest-building period; violation of critical
territoriescon with new roads, ski-lifts, poisonings, ecc).
Edited by Siro Baliva and Marco Liberatore – Majella National Park Authority
The Golden Eagle in Majella National Park. (Length 1'07")
