The species occurs in Eurasia, North Africa and North America, where it's most common in the western United States, Canada and Alaska. The golden eagle is rare in the Northeast. The legs are feathered to the toes. Adults resemble immature bald eagles, but the goldens are darker. Immature goldens have white wing patches and, for their first several years, a broad, white band at the base of the tail.
Golden eagles are classic buteos, with long, rounded wings.
They flap less and soar more than bald eagles. Their call is a series of rapid, sharp chirps. Prey includes small rodents, hares, rabbits, birds, reptiles and fish. Goldens crush prey in their sharp talons, and use their large, hooked beaks to rip it apart for eating. In the West, these fierce, powerful predators have been known to knock young mountain sheep and goats off high ledges, then feast on the remains below.