The largest of the raptors found here in the UK. The main species of Eagle in the UK is the Golden Eagle. They are found only in Scotland and Cumbria, England. The other eagle in UK is the White Tailed Sea Eagle, which has been successfully re-introduced to the western isles of Scotland.

They prefer areas where people don’t live as they are very shy. They prefer hilly or mountain.

They are very powerful indeed, and their food may consist of anything from squirrel to rabbit and hare, even foxes and small deer. They will hunt by either soaring, or sitting on lookout from a hillside or tree.

The Eyes
Very sharp eyesight capable of seeing prey moving on the ground upto a mile away! Again, like other raptors they are geared for hunting in the daylight.

The Beak
A very formidable weapon, capable of ripping open the carcass of the prey it has caught. Combined with its very strong neck, it could make short work of anything it managed to catch. In relation to the size of the head, its beak is proportionally larger than the other British raptors.

The Wings
The wingspan of the Eagle is almost twice its body length. The wings are very broad, with the ‘finger’ effect at the wingtips so common in soaring raptors. It is possible for an Eagle to soar for hours with only a few wings beats.

The Feet
The feet of the Golden Eagle are very large and very powerful. They can be as large as a man’s hand, finished off with large, deadly curved talons.

Raptor – A summary of common features
1. Sharp, hooked beaks
2. Powerful talons
3. Diurnal (daytime) activity
4. Feet are bare with tough scales
5. Eyes are placed with a forward view, giving binocular vision

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