Birds of Prey
Golden Eagle
Most
golden eagles (Aquiola chrysaetos)
of
the NWT migrate south to over winter in southern
Canada and the USA.
However, there are cases of mature golden eagles
becoming permanent residents of the
Mackenzie Mountains.
The
large, powerful feet and size (75-100 cm tall) of the adults allow them to
capture much larger prey (such as hares, ground squirrels or the occasional
newborn caribou calf) than other soaring hawks.
It
takes 4 years before a golden eagle assumes the dark brown plumage and
characteristic gold wash on the back of the head and neck of a mature bird.
Immature golden eagles are dark brown with varying amounts of white under the
wings and at the base of the tail.
In
late May, the female lays two or three eggs in a large stick nest constructed on
a cliff ledge or in a tall tree near creeks and rivers.
A nest slowly increases in size as it is used year after year. Usually only the first nestling to hatch obtains enough food
to reach the fledging stage, which is 77 days.
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