Golden eagle
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
Golden eagles ride rising air to gain height with little flying effort.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Golden eagle
- Scientific name
- Aquila chrysaetos
- Japanese name
- イヌワシ
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Genus
- Aquila
Where the name “Golden eagle” comes from
The name golden eagle comes from its golden head and neck.
San Diego ZooThis page introduces the golden eagle species; birds of Japan and the Korean Peninsula belong to the subspecies called the Japanese golden eagle.
It is an eagle found widely across Eurasia and North America; in Japan it lives in mountains and similar places.
Its body is dark brown overall, and from the top to the back of its head it is a pale yellowish brown.
A pair often hunts together, with one eagle chasing the prey until it is worn out.
How the Golden eagle lives
It glides overhead looking for prey. It may also wait in ambush on a tree or rock. A pair builds nests of branches and grass on cliffs or in trees. The eagles add material to their nests each year, making them larger.
多摩動物公園San Diego ZooBasic data
- Size
- Total length: 75–90 cmWingspan: 190–227 cm
- Weight
- males 3–4 kg, females 4–5 kg
- Diet
- Small and medium-sized mammals, birds, reptiles, and carrion
- Range
- Japan and the Korean Peninsula
- Conservation status in Japan
- Endangered (EN)Assessed as Aquila chrysaetos japonicaMinistry of the Environment of Japan, 5th Red List (2026)
Where the Golden eagle has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- イヌワシ
- 简体中文
- 金雕
- 繁體中文
- 金雕
- 한국어
- 검독수리
- Español
- Águila real
- Français
- Aigle royal
- Deutsch
- Steinadler
- Português (Brasil)
- Águia-real
- Italiano
- Aquila reale
- العربية
- عقاب ذهبية
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Elang Emas
- Tiếng Việt
- Đại bàng vàng
- Русский
- Беркут
- Türkçe
- Kaya kartalı
- ไทย
- นกอินทรีทอง
- বাংলা
- সোনালী ঈগল
- اردو
- سنہری عقاب
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 多摩動物公園 — イヌワシ（ニホンイヌワシ）Checked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Aquila chrysaetosChecked: 2026-11-03
- San Diego Zoo — Golden EagleChecked: 2026-11-05
- Ministry of the Environment of Japan, 5th Red List (2026)Checked: 2026-11-07
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
The conservation status in Japan is the category in the Red Lists of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, which assess the risk of extinction for wild animals in Japan.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Golden eagle, look for this
- Watch for slow, powerful wingbeats alternating with gliding.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Golden eagle
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
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