Wildlife Wednesday – The Golden Eagle

Everyone knows about the bald eagle here in Ohio so let’s spotlight the other eagle seen in the buckeye state for our latest Wildlife Wednesday – the golden eagle.
The golden eagle is one of the largest birds in North America. Its wings are broad and similar to a red-tailed hawk’s, but longer relative to the body.
At a distance, the head appears quite small and the tail is long. An adult golden eagle is dark brown with glistening golden feathers on the back of the head and neck. For the first several years of its life, a young bird has a neatly defined white patch at the base of the tail and in the wings.
Usually found alone or in pairs, the golden eagle typically soars or glides on its long wings with wingtip feathers spread like fingers. There are no records of the species nesting in Ohio. In other states, it usually nests on cliffs. Nesting sites in trees, on the ground, or in human-made structures have been documented, too. Found mostly in the western half of the U.S., the golden eagle is rare in eastern states. In Ohio, sightings are common along the Lake Erie shoreline on the coldest of days, and during spring and fall migration.
For more info on these and other raptors, download the Raptors of Ohio Field Guide from our Ohio Division of Wildlife at https://ohiodnr.gov/…/Pub%205386%20Raptors%20of%20Ohio…. Ohio Department of Education #WildOhio
Information courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources