Golden Eagle Size: Explained & Compared With Other Birds

Golden Eagle Height 

Golden Eagle Size

The Golden Eagle or Aquila chrysaetos is a bird of prey found in the Northern Hemisphere. They are one of the most well-known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. 

The Golden Eagle is one of the biggest and fastest raptors, with shining gold feathers on the back of its head and neck. 

It is also regarded as one of the most powerful birds, with incredibly long and wide wings and tails. 

If we talk about their relative body size, their heads seem comparatively tiny when viewed in profile, but the tail appears fairly long and broad. 

Regardless of their sex, Golden Eagles are tall with a body length between 66 to 102 centimeters (26 to 40 in). While the average height of the Golden Eagle is 33.1 inches or 2.75 feet tall. 

Height in Centimeters Height in Inches Height in Feet
Golden Eagle 66 to 102 cm26 to 40 in2.5 to 3 feet

Golden Eagle Weight

Golden Eagle Size

The length and the weight ratio of any bird have a direct relation with its flying ability. The weight of a particular bird is measured in terms of its body mass. 

One of the heaviest Eagles in the world is the Stellar Sea Eagle, with an overall body mass between 5 to 10 kg (11 to 22 lb). 

Comparatively, the smallest and the most lightweight Eagle known to us is the male Pygmy Eagle, with a weight of 406 g (0.8 lb) – 555 g (1.2 lb). 

If we look at the body mass or weight of the American Golden Eagle, there is a variation between the male and the female bird. 

While the male Golden Eagle weighs about 2.5 to 4.47 kg (5.5 to 9.9 lb), the female one is about 3.6 to 6.4 kg (7.9 to 14.1 lb). On average males weigh around 3.48 kg (7.7 lb) and females weigh around 4.91 kg (10.8 lb). 

The Golden Eagle experiences gender dimorphism, where the female species is heavier than the male. 

Weight in Kilograms Weight in Pound 
Stellar Sea Eagle5 to 10 kg11 to 22 lb
Golden Eagle3.4-4.91 kg7.7-10.8 lb
Pygmy Eagle0.4-0.5 kg0.8-1.2 lb

Golden Eagle Wingspan

Golden Eagle Size

While the height and weight of a bird are crucial in understanding its anatomy and ability to fly, its wingspan is also a crucial factor. 

While determining the wingspan of a bird type, scientists and researchers measure the distance between the tip of one of their wings to the tip of the other wing. 

Eagle wings are designed for soaring and gliding on warm air updrafts. They also have long feathers that are slotted and may separate to let air flow easily and prevent stalling when flying at slower speeds. As a result, the Golden Eagle has a long wingspan to improve its ability to glide and lift easily.

Wingspan in Meters Wingspan in Feet
Golden Eagles 1.8 to 2.34 m5 ft 11 in to 7 ft 8 in

Golden Eagles have long and very broad wings and have a wingspan between 1.8 to 2.34 meters (5 ft 11 in to 7 ft 8 in). It has been observed that the wingspan of the Golden Eagle is the fifth largest among all the eagles in the world. 

Golden Eagle Talon Size

Birds usually have one talon on each of their toes, and its length, curve, and thickness can vary depending on how the bird uses its talons and how worn particular heels are.

Even though bird talons are commonly associated with eagles and other birds of prey, the term may also refer to raptors’ flesh-tearing claws or fingernails.

Large talons help Eagles in catching and eating their food or prey. Golden Eagles have long and powerful claws with a size of about 4.5 to 6.34 cm (1.77 to 2.50 in).

The talons of the Golden Eagle are more significant than the Bald Eagle’s but a bit smaller than the Harpy Eagle’s. 

Talon size in Centimeters Talon size in Inch 
Golden Eagle4.5 to 6.34 cm1.77 to 2.50 in

Golden Eagle Egg Size

While the adult Golden Eagles are important and interesting to know about, their juveniles and nesting period are equally important. Golden Eagles mostly build their nests on large trees or high ledges, rarely habiting on the ground. 

The nesting period of the Golden Eagles is between 45-81 days and has an incubation period of 41-45 days. The birds lay around 1 to 3 eggs once a year. 

The egg size of the Golden Eagle varies depending on several factors, but usually, the Golden Eagle eggs are 2.7-3.4 in (6.8-8.6 cm) in length and 1.9-2.5 in (4.9-6.4 cm) in width. 

Golden Eagle egg size in cmInch 
Length 6.8-8.6 cm2.7-3.4 in
Width 4.9-6.4 cm1.9-2.5 in

Golden Eagle Size Comparison To Human

Humans are said to be the most advanced creatures with great benefits. In comparison to other species, they have structures and body anatomy which is very beneficial and so makes them one of the top predators in the food chain. 

It is quite interesting to see where the bird of prey, the Golden Eagle, stands in front of an adult human. The overall size of an adult human in terms of their height is 5.5 to 5.9 feet, whereas the Golden Eagle has an overall height of 2.5 to 3 feet. 

Species Size (Height)
Golden Eagle 2.5 to 3 feet 
Humans 5.5 to 5.9 feet

Humans have a height of about two times the Golden Eagle. That is the Golden Eagle is much smaller than humans in terms of its overall size.

However, what would happen if the bird stands in front of a human with its wings wide open, will the size differ?

Yes, the wingspan of the Golden Eagle ranges between 5 to 7 feet, which is larger than the average height of humans. 

Golden Eagle Size Vs Bald Eagle Size

Now that we have compared two different species (Birds and humans), let’s dive into the two same species of Eagles. The Golden Eagle and the Bald Eagle are two different types of Eagles, with different physical appearances and anatomy. 

The size of the Golden Eagle is almost the same as the Bald Eagle. Males in both species of the raptors are around 2.5 feet tall from the tip of their head to the tip of their toe, with wingspans of 6 to 7 feet and weights of up to 10 pounds.

However, like any other bird raptors, the females are comparatively larger than the males. 

BirdGolden EagleBald Eagle
Height66 to 102 cm (26 to 40 in)70–102 cm (28–40 in)
Weight3.4-4.91 kg (7.7-10.8 lb)3 and 6.3 kg (6.6 and 13.9 lb)
Wingspan1.8 to 2.34 m (5.11-7.8 ft)1.8 and 2.3 m (5 ft 11 in and 7 ft 7 in)

Golden Eagle Size Compared To Buzzard

Buzzards are usually bigger and have wide wings that they employ for soaring. Both types of birds look similar and have visually exciting flight, but from a distance, it can be quite confusing to tell them apart. One factor used to differentiate between the two bird types is their overall size. 

The Golden Eagle has a wingspan of 6 to 7 feet, whereas the smaller Buzzard has a wing span of roughly 4 feet. Moreover, the Buzzard is a small bird of prey with a height of 40 and 58 cm (16 and 23 in) tall and the largest Golden Eagle has double the height of around 102 cm. 

However, in terms of their weight, the Buzzards are heavier than the Golden Eagle. The Buzzards have an overall body mass between 0.43 – 1.4 kg (0.9-3 lb), whereas the Golden Eagle has a weight of 3.4-4.91 kg (7.7-10.8 lb).

BirdGolden EagleBuzzard
Height66 to 102 cm (26 to 40 in)40 and 58 cm (16 and 23 in)
Weight3.4-4.91 kg (7.7-10.8 lb)0.43 – 1.4 kg (0.9-3 lb)
Wingspan1.8 to 2.34 m (5.11-7.8 ft)109–140 cm (3.5-4.5 ft)

Harpy Eagle Vs Golden Eagle Size

Both Harpy and the Golden Eagle are large and strong birds of prey. The harpy eagle ranks third in terms of weight after the Steller’s sea eagle and the Philippine eagle and the Golden Eagle ranks fifth. Overall, the Harpy Eagle is heavier than the Golden Eagle. 

However, when it comes to wingspan and height, the harpy eagle is comparatively small.

BirdGolden EagleHarpy Eagle
Height66 to 102 cm (26 to 40 in)86.5 to 107 cm (2 ft 10 in to 3 ft 6 in)
Weight3.4-4.91 kg (7.7-10.8 lb)4.4-8.3 kg (9-18 lb)
Wingspan1.8 to 2.34 m (5.11-7.8 ft)176 to 224 cm (5 ft 9 in to 7 ft 4 in)

White-Tailed Eagle Vs Golden Eagle Size 

The White Tailed Eagle is one of the largest birds of prey in the UK and is the fourth largest across the world.

While the White-Tailed Eagle has an overall wingspan of 8 feet, the Golden Eagle measures a bit smaller with a wingspan of 7 feet and ranks fifth. 

Additionally, talking in terms of their overall height, the White-Tailed Eagle and the Golden Eagle have a similar overall height of 80 cm tall.

Both the male and females of the two types of Eagles exhibit gender dimorphism where the female is a bit larger than the male.

The average weight is 4.3kg in males and 5.5kg in females for the White-tailed Eagle and the Golden Eagle has an average weight of 3.4 kg (7.2 lb) in males and 4.9 kg (10.8 lb) in females. 

BirdGolden EagleWhite-Tailed Eagle 
Height66 to 102 cm (26 to 40 in)66 to 94 cm (26 to 37 in) 
Weight3.4-4.91 kg (7.7-10.8 lb)4-6.9 kg (8.8 to 15.2 lb)
Wingspan1.8 to 2.34 m (5.11-7.8 ft)1.78 to 2.45 m (5 ft 10 in to 8 ft 0 in)

Conclusion

That was everything you need to know about the Golden eagle size. I hope this article was informative enough and you got something useful from it.

Thank you for Reading!

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