In most cases, the golden eagle is reportedly dominant over white-tailed eagles at food, reportedly being more aggressive and a more agile and swift flier. [1] Occasionally smaller raptors, especially large falcons, will drive eagles to the ground. They have also been recorded eating or attacking livestock, deer, carrion, birds, reptiles, porcupines, fish, and even large insects. [38][46] On Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands, barn owls made up 4.5% of the diet, the largest known occurrence of that species in the eagles' diet. The golden eagles appear to vigorously defend their territories from the Verreaux's eagles and, as in its relationship with the Bonelli's, the two species appear to maintain exclusive territories. 1998. [200] There are at least two known instances of Scottish white-tailed eagles fiercely attacking golden eagles in apparent territorial bouts, in one instance pulling the golden down into shallow coastal waters to drown. Unlike in Scotland and Norway (or in a guild of Buteos in the American Midwest), no aggression or conflicts were reported between the three large eagle species even though they sometimes nested within 475 m (1,558 ft) of one another. [11][31][66] Though rare, golden eagles may sometimes pirate prey from various species of fox. [36] The European rabbit appears to be secondary in Hungary, where it comprised 14.3%. The talons of this species exert approximately 440 pounds per square inch (3 MPa) of pressure, around 15 times more pressure than is exerted by the human hand, although some claim that the largest individual females may reach a pressure of 750 psi (5.2 MPa). [11] Across the golden eagle's range, hares and rabbits are generally known to be hunted via either "high soar with glide attack" or "contour flight with short glide attack". [15][131][157] Beyond the aforementioned North American Buteo, other small to medium-sized diurnal raptors are known to occasionally be hunted by golden eagles, including ospreys (Pandion haliaetus),[158] black kite (Milvus migrans),[4] hen harriers (Circus cyaneus),[129] Eurasian sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus),[11] Cooper's hawks (Accipter cooperii),[38] northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis),[72] red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus),[159] common buzzards (Buteo buteo),[11] long-legged buzzards (Buteo rufinus),[142] upland buzzards (Buteo hemilasius),[36] rough-legged buzzards,[72] Eurasian kestrels (Falco tinnunculus),[66] American kestrels (Falco sparverius), merlins (Falco columbarius),[160] prairie falcons[12] and gyrfalcons (Falco rusticolus). [38][44][81][82] The chukar is the most significant bird species in the diet in Nevada (at 5.4%) and the second most significant bird species in Washington state (at 11.8%). Ground squirrels usually forage within running distance of one of their burrow entrances, so it is essential for the golden eagle to have a surprise factor. Across the range, pheasants make up 5.7% of the diet of this species. Although they may locally target large numbers of juveniles, in other cases they may dismember an adult marmot after a kill so they are able to carry it to the nest. Typically preys on mammals ranging in size from ground squirrels up to prairie-dogs, marmots, and jackrabbits. [11] All the diverse groups of prey are examined below, using mainly the aforementioned 59 dietary studies. [78] In addition to their large size, cock capercaillie are exceptionally aggressive while on a lek and golden eagles have been observed to use different, bolder tactics while hunting them, even landing at the lek to confront and overpower feuding grouse. [136][137] The last known breeding pair of golden eagles in Maine (which did not return after 1999) were reported to hunt an unusually large number of herons, specifically great blue herons (Ardea herodias) and American bitterns (Botaurus lentiginosus). [60] The truth lies somewhere in between. Little analysis has gone into how regularly golden eagles will attack the nestling and fledglings of other birds, although it has been interpreted that this behavior is not uncommon. In one case, a group of three black-billed magpies were observed to rob a golden eagle of its prey. & Phipps, K.B. Neale, J. C., Sacks, B. N., Jaeger, M. M., & McCullough, D. R. (1998). Wilmers, C. C., Stahler, D. R., Crabtree, R. L., Smith, D. W., & Getz, W. M. 2003. [201] White-tailed eagles are able to survive on a great breadth of food and have longer guts so can live on less food for a longer time than golden eagles. [44][45] In many other areas, ground squirrels are secondary prey, usually ranking after lagomorphs in dietary significance. 1982. 1986. [4] Nestling-aged rock pigeons (Columba livia) have been observed as prey in golden eagle nests. [179][180] Several species have been recorded as prey, especially in Northern Europe, Slovakia (where owls make up 2.4% of prey remains) and some parts of the Western United States. The American Eagle Foundation (AEF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The initial pursuer diverts the prey's attention by stooping while the second flies in unseen to make the kill. The eagle typically ignores attacks from smaller species or at least leaves their home ranges, but will occasionally roll and extend talons toward chasing individual often without displaying active predatory behavior. Cantegrel-Gassiot, L., Pagoaga, A., R. & C., & Rieu, L. (2015). Mollhagen, T.R., Wiey, R.W. [11] The taking of larger ungulates is exceptional but has been verified in several cases, and is most likely to happen in late winter or early spring, when other available prey is scarce and (in most of the range) eagles are not concerned with carrying prey to a nest. [11] Non-corvid passerines are usually ignored as prey but large thrushes such as song thrush (Turdus philomelos), mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus) and common blackbird (Turdus merula), are semi-regularly recorded prey in Europe. Most of the ground squirrels targeted by the eagles are quite small, with the entire Spermophilus group and some prairie dogs weighing under 1 kg (2.2 lb). Prey selection is largely determined by the local availability and abundance of prey species. Hunt, W. G., R. E. Jackman, T. L. Brown, D. E. Driscoll, and L. Culp. [18] Even in areas where conflicts between white-tailed and golden eagles do occur it is thought that, since the species are very different in their preferred foods and nesting sites, they do not adversely affect the other at a population level. Phillips, R. L., Cummings, J. L., Notah, G. & Mullis, C. 1996. Whitfield, D. P., Evans, R. J., Broad, R. A., Fielding, A. H., Haworth, P. F., Madders, M., & McLeod, D. R. A. Thus, the white-tailed may locally outcompete the golden eagle in terms of populating a given area. Also eats birds, mostly gamebirds such as grouse but rarely birds as large as cranes or as small as sparrows. [3] A fully-grown golden eagle requires about 230 to 250 g (8.1 to 8.8 oz) of food per day. 1994. Website designed by The Thomas Group. Kalmbach, E.R., Imler, R.H. & Arnold, L.W> 1964. [1], Relationships with smaller diurnal raptors. [191] Still, in areas without unnatural human pressures, the gradation between these species is still adequate enough that they can exist without serious negative effect on either population. [6][unreliable source?] Among wild bovids, eagles are reportedly the main predator of Saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) calves in Mongolia and are regularly reported to take chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) and Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) calves in Europe. [12][92] Around the Himalayas, the small white-bellied musk deer (Moschus leucogaster) is reportedly a favorite prey item (though no quantitative analysis are known). The golden eagle is the only major avian predator of adult turkeys. Other mammals which in some locations comprise a minor diet component include dormice,[66] pocket gophers,[125] moles,[48] raccoons,[126] horses,[113] kangaroo rats, porcupines,[52] shrews, pikas, and chinchillas. In one case, a colony of griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) was exceptionally able to displace a pair golden eagles from a cliff where they were trying nest so they could nest there themselves. Once contact is made, rabbits and hares will often kick or try to bite the eagle but escape is unlikely once they are pinned to the ground. Despite several reported antagonistic interactions, no other raptors were found as prey in the Bale Mountains nests of golden eagles. All ground squirrels live in burrows, which in species like prairie dogs can be quite elaborate. Both are marginally heavier on average than the golden, especially the white-tailed eagle, which tends to have a slightly longer wingspan as well. [202] A much more passive interspecies guild of eagles have been observed in a wooded area of Kazakhstan, consisting of white-tailed, eastern imperial and golden eagle. Alberta, Scotland, Spain, etc.) (2001). In the dry, barren Negev Desert, golden eagles nests were found 13 km (8.1 mi) apart and Bonelli's were scarce. [34] Overall prey weight has ranged from 10 g (0.35 oz) to at least 114 kg (251 lb),[34][35] although most prey taken are around half the weight of the preying eagle, with a typical prey weight range of 0.5–4 kg (1.1–8.8 lb) but mostly in the lower half of that range. [27] In many parts of the range (i.e. [11][31], Other raptorial birds can sometimes become semi-regular prey, such as various hawks which are recorded largely in North America at locations such as Oregon (8.8% of prey remains) and Arizona. [177] The golden eagle is considered an occasional predator of California condors (especially fledglings) but there seems to be little in the way of eyewitness accounts to confirm this. [32][33] In general, the dietary breadth is greater in Eurasia than it is in North America, where eagles frequently only need to hunt two or three species throughout the nesting cycle. Stilt, 61. This is most apparent on islands that have very few (or no) native land mammals, such as Corsica in France, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands in California and many of the Inner and Outer Hebrides of Scotland. [42] Over the whole of the golden eagle's range these prey items comprise less than 1% of nest remains, though this figure can be higher locally. [67][140] When hunting tortoise, golden eagles use a unique technique: they pick up the tortoise and fly up to at least 20 m (66 ft) above the rocky ground, then drop the tortoise onto the terrain below in the hope of smashing open its hard shell. [11] Reptiles comprised about 7% of prey from across the range, with other prey groups comprising the remaining 3%. Species ( 28.6 % ) to their usual diet common family of.! 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