Golden eagle

The golden eagle is large a Oiseau, protected in certain countries since the years 1970.

Description

The golden eagle, whose latino-Greek Taxinomie Aquila Chrysaetos means Aigle gilded is a diurnal raptor which measures from 76 to 79 cm, and the scale of its wing S, broad and round out of V, is approximately 190 to 250 cm. It weighs of 3 kg to 6 kg. The females are on average taller and more doors that the males.

Its Bec is hooked, like that of the majority of the predatory birds, which enables him to cut up preys. The color of its plumage varies with the age: it presents large white rosettes on the wings and the tail before its sexual maturity (towards 5 or 6 years) then its plumage is brown dark. In flight, one can notice clearer feathers on the wings. Its neck and its head are gilded what was worth its name of Golden delicious to him eagle in English. He has a sight 7 times more piercing than that of a man.

Its life expectancy is 35 years, even if some, in captivity, died only around 45 years, the baby golden eagle is white.

Food

The golden eagle is an opportunist raptor and its food mode depends mainly on the preys which it meets in its medium. In alpine zone, it is made up with more than 80% of Marmotte S. Ailleurs, it is varied definitely more.

Among its preys, it is possible to find:

of the léporidés like the Rabbit S and Hare S;
of the Rodent S, in particular of the Marmot S;
of the caprinés like the Chamois, Roe-deer S, Ibex S,
of the Bird X, mainly of the Héron S, Falcon S, crane S and Grouse;
of the mustélidés like the Badger X, Hermine S and Weasel S.

Reproduction

Each year in March or April, the female lays from 1 to 3 egg S (often two) blanchâtres mottled the brown one. They are laid to two or three days of interval, which will also space the blossomings since the female starts to brood as of the big shot of first egg. The duration of incubation varies from 41 to 45 days. The female ensures the essence or the totality of the time of incubation while the male drives out to nourish it and defends the territory.

Most of the time only one young person survives: during second about fifteen life, most extremely (often the hatched first) attacks and ends up killing weakest without food competition not justifying it, one speaks about cainism. If the first born is a male and the second a female, generally larger than a male, the competition is balanced and the two young people can arrive at the take-off.

Passed the 11 weeks to age the eaglet its first flight carries out but remains in the vicinity of the surface. Then it follows the adults who kill out of the preys for him. To the autumn, before starting again a new reproductive cycle, the adults lead the young person to be left. This one then starts a period of Erratisme, i.e. he traverses of vast territories, often visiting of the areas to rich fauna like the Camargue or the delta of Ebre. It becomes adult only between 4 and 6 years, but can try to be put in couple as of the second year with a very weak reproductive success.

The male and the female are faithful to their territory. No study was made on the fidelity of the birds between them. The bridal parades, in the form of piqués and festoons can begin as of December. The surface will be then built or reloaded in branches in a cliff under an overhang, more rarely in a tree.

Habitat

The golden eagle meets in the mountains of Eurasia: (the Alps, the Pyrenees, Corsica, Eastern Asia,…), with the the Maghreb and in North America. It also occupies the circumference of these territories (pre-mountainous) and the open territories of the northern forests. A population niche also on the Ethiopian high plateaus .

The nest, called surface, consists of branches whose accumulation year after year, can measure more than 5 meters thickness. It is located in cliffs or from old trees, their orientation varies according to the altitude (of 100 with 2 000 meters) and of the Climate (Mediterranean cold with continental).

Symbol

The golden eagle enjoys an excellent reputation: one often regards it most beautiful of the eagle S, and as the king of the birds. Since the Antiquity, it is symbol of victory, this is why the Assyrian , the Hittites, the Perses and the Romains placed it at the top of the standards. For the Romans, he was also messenger of the gods, and Jupiter bird. Representing the race of the sun for the Aztec , certain Indians of America used its feathers for their caps of wars.

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