Latin Name:Aquila chrysaetos
Gaelic Name: Iolair-bhuib.
Meaning: Golden Eagle.
Statistics: Body length 79-88cm, wingspan 190-227cm, weight 3-6kg. Females
are much larger than the males.
Physical Description: Adults are a uniform brown colour with a paler brown
head, but juveniles have a white patch on the base of the tail and on the underside
of the wings. They have a square tail and fully-feathered legs.
Scottish Distribution: Winters & breeds in mainland and islands north
of the Highland Boundary Fault (except Buchan plain & Northern Isles) &
Galloway.
Habitat: These large raptors prefer mountainous, often treeless, habitats,
although they require large trees or rock faces for nesting.
Diet: Rodents, rabbits, hares and young deer. They also hunt birds (particularly
grouse), and occasionally feed on reptiles. They often feed on carrion (particularly
sheep and lambs).
Latin Name: Aquila chrysaetos
