Glorious Golden Eagles

The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is a notorious and well-known bird of prey found in the Northern Hemisphere. Found in the mountains of North America, Europe and Asia, they have powerful talons and a wingspan of 2.3m, making them the perfect predator to take on a variety of reptilian and mammalian prey. The powerful talons on the eagle allow it to grab hold of and ride larger prey and crush bones and cartilage, until the victim is killed from shock, injury or exhaustion. Its sharp beak is designed for tearing skin and flesh (Macmillan Encyclopaedia  2003).

Golden eagles have been reported to hunt a variety of animals in a variety of ways, and have even been used throughout history as companions to mounted hunters.

Image: Photographer Taipo Kaisla (Flickr.com)

Cases of the eagles dropping items such as rocks or even the prey themselves have been often reported, however, hardly documented correctly. In a recent article, Dr Edward Koch (2012) states that he observed a juvenile Golden Eagle dropping rocks on Dusky Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) in an attempt to either injure their prey or flush them out of the long grass. There are no known reports to this behavior previous to that seen in south-central Idaho by Dr Koch. In the case of slower moving animals, the eagles use a technique of low flight with a slow descent attack, to ensure accuracy. Animals such as tortoises have been seen being captured and flown up to heights of 10m+, to be dropped onto a rocky surface. This breaks open their tough, protective shell and gives easier access to the eagles for a meal (Watson, 2010). In a video that has gone viral on Youtube, a Golden Eagle can be seen grabbing an unsuspecting goat and throwing it off a cliff face. 

[NOTE: I won't post this video because it was a little on the sad side, and may be a bit much for some viewers.]

Photographer: Jimmy Nelson (beforethey.com)

Golden eagles have also been seen targeting other predators. Used by Khazak hunters in western Mongolia for centuries, tamed female Golden Eagles selected for their superior strength and size, and intent to hunt (supposedly due to strong maternal instincts to provide for their young). 

Falconers still use the Golden Eagles to hunt today, and still use them for traditional means to collect furs of the foxes for their families. The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and Corsac Fox (Vulpes corsac) are the two target species, although in other cultures the eagles are even used to target adult wolves (Soma, 2012). Eagles are carried on the arm of the hunter, who is mounted on a sturdy Mongolian pony. 

Although this may not be a natural hunting technique of the Golden Eagle, it illustrates the diversity in prey choice that these large and beautiful birds are capable of targeting.

Video with thanks to BBC One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y3Dl0BGFfw

References:

‘Golden Eagle’ (2003) in The Macmillan Encyclopaedia, Macmillan Publishers Ltd, Basingstoke, United Kingdom.

Accessed: 9 May 2014, from Credo Reference

Koch. E.D. (2012) Juvenile Golden Eagle (Aquila chysaetos) drops rock near Dusky Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus). Journal of Raptor Research. 46(4): 407-407

Soma, T. (2012) Intangible Cultural Heritage of Arts and Knowledge for Coexisting with Golden Eagles: Ethnographic Studies in “Horseback Eagle-Hunting” of Altai-Kazakh Falconers. The International Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences Research p 307 - 316

Watson, J. (2010) The Golden Eagle. 1st ed. London: A & C Black.