Golden Eagles

Anybody have any pictures or stories of Golden Eagles? I've only seen them twice in 36 years of traveling the country. Once in Montana on a deer carcass with 3 Bald Eagles around it, I was blown away just how much bigger a Golden is than a Bald Eagle. Once in Oregon on the Columbia River, that one was fighting with 2 bald eagles, watched it flip upside down, kinda do a backwards air brake thing and grab one, flipped back over, dropped it and I watch the bald eagle flutter and flap into the river. The other bald eagle got real aggressive and the golden eagle seemed to increase its efforts to run from it! I thought they both had it wrong.

I saw one a couple of months ago on a deer carcass. I pulled in to a turn around on one of the farms I trap. Somebody had dumped a partially butchered deer. It was huge! I had plenty off time to take a pic with my cell phone as it flew about 150 yards to a tree line but was so amazed I forgot all about it.

I had seen a bald eagle on a different deer carcass ten miles away earlier that morning. A bald eagle and a golden eagle in one day, I should have played the lottery.

The golden eagle was only the third or fourth I've ever seen around here.

We get a few in the winter months. I think they come down from Wisconsin. I usually catch a few on my carcass cams. This is probably my best size comparison pic.

We have them. A couple winters ago I had a deer carcass out front on the ice and in short order dead of winter there were a dozen bald eagles on it. Two of us were watching the bait and after a couple hours those eagles suddenly parted off it and a golden landed and hopped on into that bait like he owned it. All others stood to the side, none tried to eat.

Most interesting in eastern Montana I was shooting on a spread and the ranchers son came to pick me up after a morning walk. We were coming along a ridge and saw 4 antelope on a flat down below us. They took off but not because of us, we thought coyote and got out and watched as a golden came down and hit the last one. He flapped up and soon a second swooped down and hit the same goat. That one pulled up and the other hit again. I saw the goat stumble after a few hits then down and I'm not sure but after 8 whacks or so that antelope stayed down with an eagle on it then the other joined. The ranchers son said that wasn't uncommon bit I sure wish I had a video of that antelopes death. Wicked birds.

Osky

I see them almost daily. As far as size goes actually the bald eagle is a little bit larger then the golden. The air show you descripted resembles their mating ritual. Not sure you ever seen the golden mating ritual but it is an amazing thing to watch. I have seen it about 4 times and is a priceless air show. On a carcass both will feed at the same time but the golden always seems to me to have more control and will be more aggressive from my observations. Two year ago in the late spring I watched a nest they had along a creek where absolutely nothing could get to that nest but them. It was in a very unique place. I don't have any pictures but I will take a look today to see if I can see if a pair is around that old nest area.

We had one on the farm here in Ohio a couple winters ago. I didn't realize what it was at first. Both it and a bald eagle were trying to eat a coon carcass, I couldn't understand what would be so much bigger than the bald eagle.

If you research both birds the bald is actually a bigger bird, is what they say. They should of laid their egg's right about now.

They may say that, but the one on my bait pile was far and away bigger than any in the gathering of Eagles on my bait. All were mature balds but that golden was significantly bigger. On the open flat that day I had no size comparison but they sure dwarfed the antelope doe, she at maybe 60-70 pounds.

Osky

We see goldens here every winter in a couple of the places I trap. They sure look bigger to me than the balds. I know this when the golden hits the carcass pile the balds shag butt. I had never seen one here until a few winters ago but now see them every year.

About the same size but the bald eagle could fly in and the golden had to land on a trail and walk in.

Saskfly ^ Yep, the experts have the bald as larger (do the research) and I'm with you very little difference in size as long as you compare age to age of birds and sex. Lol I have seen many with both on carcasses and really would have to look to see any different in size, but what ever.

Had one take a close look at my 35 lb. springer spaniel while pheasant hunting. Turned and did a low flyby while we worked an old fence line.

I picked up a sickly one in Wyo. once that couldn't fly. Tied it to a cement block in my apartment and fed it mule deer burger. Came to the conclusion it was blind in one eye but after about 4 days it started dragging that block around and making a mess. Called the Game & Fish to see if they would rehome it and and the bunnyhugging gal on the other end thought I was some kind of criminal. I could have traded feathers to the Navajo for turquoise and silver but just didn't have the heart to wring it's neck. I figured out where the state biologist lived and let the bird out in his driveway. I still wonder what ever became of that eagle.....

Wish I had never seen one! They are a pain in the hind end trapping in the west. Can't count the number of fox coyote and cats I've had eaten out of snares! Had one again this year again, dang pukin buzzard is all they are....with lots of special rights!

Lot of people mis identify immature balds with goldens, but a mature in either species are easy! The ranchers in Wy called them blackbirds!

see them ever day and had them eat plenty of live fox in traps they get that figured out best pull that trap.

I don't know, this was the only one I've ever seen. But I've seen a lot of bald eagles and they're a big bird. But the golden was considerable bigger.

An immature blade eagle and golden eagle look very similar.
We have both here along the mitey Susky and Juniata rivers.
The balds are more in number but the goldens are rising in numbers as well

I’ve done the research and it is inconclusive. Some sites say the golden eagle is the largest bird of prey in North America. Other sites say the bald eagle is bigger. Still other sites say they are virtually the same.

The golden eagle I saw a couple of months ago on the deer carcass was considerably bigger than any bald eagle I’ve ever seen and they ( bald eagles) are not uncommon around here.

Here are a couple of pictures of an immature bald eagle I saw last week. He was hopping up-and-down and clawing at the ice. There must’ve been something frozen in the ice that he was trying to get.

Lugnut on some lakes here the eagles scrape for minnows icefisherman toss out. As do coyotes.

Some books say lynx are larger than bobs. Books say bobs range up to 40 pounds, here and other places they go well over 40. Experts are wonderful but there are always exceptions in nature, and many variables come into play.

Osky

We have a lot of both here. Most amazing video I've ever seen was a golden landing on a fawn's head. The bird mantels until the fawn stopped kicking, then it straightened up picked out its flight plan (downhill) and flew off with the fawn swinging from it's talons. It was definitely gaining altitude when it flew out of sight. Don't remember the program, probably Nat Geo. The narrator said it was the only film footage of its kind. I've always believed golden eagles were the larger of the two. Any yeah they will definitely shred an animal that is caught, I've lost a few that way.

Yup, ditto's on this.

Until a few years ago Golden Eagles were quite rare in the east. Apparently the DDT is working it's way out of the ecosystem, because they are getting to be nearly commonplace. They now have days at some of the "Hawk Watch" spots in Michigan where migrating Golden Eagles have numbered more than 80 (eighty!) per day. You'd not seen that many in a year in the early 70's!

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is about thirty miles northwest of me. It lies under a major raptor migration route. Fall migration numbers of golden eagles have been increasing over the years. Last fall 145 golden eagles were sighted. I'm thinking that the one I saw was a migrant just passing through that stopped for some food.

For comparison, 541 bald eagles were sighted. The most common was the broad -winged hawk at 7,961 followed by the sharp-shinned at 5,072. The rough-legged hawk was the least spotted at 2 followed by the northern goshawk at 18.

Only see one once here in Ohio. Luckily it's the only time I've seen it

DGorman's photo is of an adult and immature bald. Balds have that goofy bill head shape. Goldens are feathered all the way down to the ankle.

We have a pile of them here in Alberta and I wish I could send a bunch of goldens to whoever likes them ..lol. This year they cost me 4 coyotes on my snareline and at 140$ each that hurts .
In my experience they are bigger than the balds , spectacular looking critters but I still hate em ..lol. I have some great trail cam pics of them on a carcass but am having trouble posting them on this forum . Coyotes and eagles were both present at the same time and it usually took at least 2 dogs to chase off an eagle , a single coyote was no match for an eagle

Got up close and personal with a golden last night...

we have an osprey here also and if you don't see hime comin and he hits the water close to ya,ya make undie mud and about flip the kayak.he has gotten me twice over the years.

A Golden is bigger than a bald... Nuff said!

Saskfly, my screen is perty dark but your top pictures looks like a two year old Bald Eagle.

We have them here on Lake Hopatcong also. I’ve been out fishing for my dinner many mornings around dawn and watched them fishing for their breakfast. They really do smack the water hard when they stoop for a fish. The resulting crack reminds me of a painful belly-flop.

They miss about half the time from what I’ve seen. When they do connect it’s usually a struggle to get airborne with wet feathers and a decent size fish clutch in their talons. It’s a hard way to earn a meal.

I also think it looks more like an immature bald eagle than a golden eagle.

No, thats a golden! See the gold feathers around the neck and the fletching on the legs. Little hard to see, but the feathers are clear down the legs. The feathers on an immarure bald are black on the neck, with kind of a ruffled underfeather showing. Still don't like them though! Really don't care for either one!

Yep >> that is right.

I really hated to make another comment on this subject but I will. I beleive more times then not (including me) mistaken two eagles together on a carcass and they both will be bald. One will be an immature bald that looks like a golden. The white headed one is very large compared to the younger one which resembles a golden. I referred to in an earlier post for size comparison need to be same age, same sex and same bird. The example above is a epic example of misidentifying.

Agree. Two species. Golden in top pic and adult Bald Eagle on the bottom.

A Golden Eagle has feather down to its ankle and Bald Eagle does not.

Bald Ankle Eagles