Printouts The Golden Eagle, Aquila chrysaetos, is a magnificent bird of prey that lives in North America, much of Eurasia, and the far north of Africa. These migratory birds live in mountains, canyons, scrub, and grasslands . These eagles live about 18 years in the wild and 40-45 in captivity. The feet have knife-like talons.
Juveniles have a have a patch of white on the tail.
Eagles have about 7,000 feathers. The females are larger than the males, but their plumage is similar. They eat hares, rabbits , large rodents , small mammals, reptiles , grouse and other birds. The eagle dives down onto its prey and catches it with outstretched, clawed feet. Golden Eagles build a large nest made of sticks and twigs.