The Golden Eagle is one of the best known and largest birds of prey in North America. The adult birds are dark brown in colour with golden-brown feathers on the back of their head, neck and upper wings.
Golden Eagles use their strength, agility and powerful talons to snatch up prey including mice, rabbits, squirrels and even fox and young deer.
They are very swift and can reach speeds over 240 km per hour while diving in on their target. <240 km/h is about 150 mp/h- the top cruising speed of the American Commuter Acela- 1 express train. Watch the following video clip and note at the 1m 8s mark as the Acela passes the station at about the same speed that the Golden Eagle achieves in a dive. Wow!
Golden eagles usually mate for life.
They build huge nests in high places including cliffs, trees, or even telephone poles and may return to this same nest for several breeding years.
The Golden Eagle is listed under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, 2007, which protects it from being killed, harmed, possessed, collected or sold, and protects the habitat from damage or destruction. For the Silo, Dixie Greenwood.
