Birds and wildlife

Golden Eagle

Aquila chrysaetosGroup: Kites, hawks and eaglesUK Conservation status:Green

How to identify

A huge bird of prey, with only the White-tailed Eagle larger in the UK. With its broad wings, it has a different outline to the smaller Buzzard. It likes to soar and glide on air currents, holding its wings in a shallow 'V'. Eagles have traditional territories and nesting places which may be used by generations. They have been illegally killed in the past and are still occasionally poisoned, or have their nests robbed. They are listed as a Schedule 1 species.

Key features to look out for

  • A huge bird of prey, much bigger than a Buzzard – in the UK only the White-tailed Eagle is bigger 
  • Adults are mostly brown, with lighter feathers on the head and neck which look golden in the sunlight 
  • Juveniles are darker, with a white base to the tail and white patches in the underwing  
  • Wings much longer than a Buzzard’s, with pronounced ‘fingered’ tips 
  • Fan-shaped tail that is longer than a White-tailed Eagle’s  
  • Chunky black beak with yellow at the base 
  • Yellow feet  
  • Feathers on the legs right the way down to the feet, which look a bit like feathery trousers  
  • Flies with slow, deep wingbeats 
A lone Golden Eagle perched on a rock.
There are now around 48 Golden Eagles in southern Scottish skies
What’s that bird of prey

From tiny Merlins to enormous White-tailed Eagles, the UK’s birds of prey come in all shapes and sizes. These masterful predators are a real treat to see, but they’re often super-fast and many species look quite similar, which can make identifying them a challenge. In this guide, we share some simple ID tips to help you.

Where to see them

You’re most likely to see Golden Eagles soaring over moorlands and mountains. They used to be quite widespread in the UK, with birds found in Scotland, north Wales, Ireland, and as far south as Derbyshire in England.

 As a result of persecution, they’re now only found in parts of Northern Ireland, as well as the Scottish Highlands and islands. When in Scotland, people often hope they’ve seen a Golden Eagle, but Buzzards are far smaller and much commoner!

Key

  1. Resident
  2. Passage
  3. Summer
  4. Winter
* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Where best to see them

Protect our Golden Eagles

This iconic species is Scotland’s national bird. Once widespread around the UK, they became the subject of persecution in the 18th and 19th centuries. By 1850, they’d been wiped out in Wales and England. However, the two World Wars helped them recover a little, as gamekeepers went away to fight. Today, most of the UK’s Golden Eagles live in the Scottish Highlands and the Outer Hebrides. England’s last resident Golden Eagle disappeared in 2015. Despite being protected by law, they’re still illegally persecuted: between 2007 and 2022, there were 22 confirmed incidents, including 14 Golden Eagles that were poisoned. 

The RSPB works in numerous ways to help Golden Eagles, including work by our investigations team who gather evidence to expose bird crime and work with the police to try to bring criminals to justice. We also campaign for better protection and on our nature reserves and across the wider landscape, we’re helping to restore and manage habitat so that it can support the prey that Golden Eagles need. 

Protect Our Birds, Defend Our Nature - Donate

Golden Eagle perched on a branch in winter with a blue sky in the background.
Golden Eagle
Behaviour

With a wingspan of more than two metres, Golden Eagles can glide on thermals for huge distances, looking out for prey, such as rabbits, far below. In fact, they have some of the best eyesight in the animal kingdom and can spot a rabbit from about two miles away!

Key facts