Golden Eagle

The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagle, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas. It has a wingspan averaging over 2 m (7 ft) and up to 1 m (3 ft) in body length. Adult Golden Eagles range considerably in size. The largest subspecies are among the largest eagles of the genus Aquila. Length may vary from 66 to 100 cm (26–40 in), wingspan can range from 150 to 240 cm (59–95 in), and weight is from 2.5 to 6.7 kg (5.5–13.4 lb); though the record sized wild specimen weighed 9kg (20 lbs). As with many Falconiformes, females are considerably larger than males, in the case of the Golden Eagle they weigh one-fourth to one-third again as much as male birds. The plumage colours range from black-brown to dark brown, with a striking golden-buff crown and nape, which give the bird its name. The upper wings also have an... full article at wikipedia