In eastern North America, golden eagles are primarily birds of mountainous habitats, especially deciduous forests with open grassy areas. In the west, their habitats are more varied. In western North Carolina, golden eagles are sometimes seen at high elevations, such as the Graveyard Fields area along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Haywood County. Golden eagles feed mostly on small mammals such as rabbits and rodents but occasionally may take larger prey. Eagles, with their extremely sharp vision, can spot their prey from long distances.
Eagles are well known for their habit of building large nests measuring several feet across.
These nests are used year after year with new material being added each season. Nests are usually built in a tall tree or sometimes on a rocky ledge and consist mostly of large and small sticks. Golden eagles lay 2 to 3 eggs, which are unmarked or slightly speckled with brown. Occasionally, the male may help the female incubate the eggs, which may take as long as 50 days. At hatching, a baby golden eagle weighs only about 3 ounces.