Wildlife Wednesday 01/22/2025

Happy #WildlifeWednesday! January is perhaps the best month to see Golden Eagles in Ohio. The enormous and regal raptor is quite rare in Ohio, with only a handful of sightings each year. 

The Golden Eagle has a wingspan of over 7 feet and large specimens tip the scales at 14 pounds. Their body plumage is dark brown and their legs are covered in feathers all the way to the toes. Their name comes from the color of the head, with the nape of the neck and the crown a shimmering hue of gold.

They prefer open and semi-open country habitats and are exceptionally powerful and agile fliers for their size, reaching speeds of 200 mph. They hunt small mammals such as rabbits, hares, and marmots, but this fierce bird of prey also can take down large animals such as coyotes, bobcats, geese, cranes, and white-tailed deer.

The Golden Eagle is a partial migrant. The birds we see here in Ohio in the winter have migrated south from Canada, spending some time in the comparably “mild” climate where more food is available. They tend to occupy areas away from human habitation, so locating and observing this raptor royalty is truly an experience to treasure!