The Golden Eagle can reach a speed of 300 km/h, placing it not only among the world's fastest birds but also one of the world's fastest animals.
The Golden Eagle has six known subspecies and all vary in size and color. Some countries like Mexico and Germany use it as a national symbol. They do so because this animal has always connoted strength and leadership. Usually, they are brown with white and gold feathers both on the head and neck. They range from 70 to 100 cm in length in the small eagles and up to 2.35m in the larger species. In weight, the small eagles weigh 3 kg, while bigger eagles weigh up to 6 kg. Same as the Peregrine Falcon, the female is larger than the male.
They mostly live in the Northern hemisphere and they can be found in Europe, Asia, North Africa, and America (from Alaska to Mexico). Their habitat goes from sea level up to 3,600 m altitude and they tend to live in mountainous regions. Nonetheless, they are also capable to adapt and live in forests, tundra… The golden eagle is often found alone, but it can also belong to small groups in regions where there is lack of food or even in extreme cold, so they together can get a bit of animal warmth. Most of these eagles are migratory, although there are also some of them with sedentary habits. Those who migrate go South in autumn when the Northern regions begin to suffer from food shortages.
Eagles are known for their powerful claws. In fact, they are so developed and are so strong that they can do 15 times more pressure with their claws than a male hand can. They are able to detect preys while flying at high altitudes, which may be mice, rabbits, fish... Their way of hunting is to descend rapidly and kill its prey by using its beak and sharp claws. Since they are predatory birds, their enemies are scarce. Nonetheless, bears and the human race with its hunting, poisoning and destruction of nests are threatening Golden Eagles.
Despite being rare in animals, the Golden Eagle is monogamous, meaning that when paired with another eagle, it can live with it for the rest of its life. Their nesting processes consists of laying one to four eggs and incubate them for 40-45 days between the months of March and April. Interestingly, the first-born offspring tends to have a larger size than younger eagles, leading them to kill their weaker brothers and always leaving a single offspring. They begin to fly after their 10th week, when they become independent and give direction to their new life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_eagle
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/golden-eagle/
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Golden-Eagle-Facts-and-Info&id=524313
http://www.ehow.com/about_6383172_interesting-golden-eagle.html
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