GOLDEN Eagle on coin texture freepict PNG
GOLDEN EAGLE (iolair bhuidhe) ON COIN TEXTURE Freepict PNG
The watcher in the skies
‘Golden Eagle.’ Two words, one massive impact on many who hear them. Once voted the nation’s favourite, for many this is the bird that symbolises the wild Scottish uplands.
It’s top of the wish-list for visitors with an eye for feathered wildlife, and the bird most residents always count themselves lucky to see.
No wonder. ‘Majestic’, ‘elegant’, ‘powerful’ and ‘magnificent’ are terms often used, without exaggeration, to describe a golden eagle. It’s big, with a wingspan that tops 2 metres and bodyweight of several kilos. Males weigh-in around 3.5 kilos, females at around 5 kilos – the same as five bags of sugar.
The feet are massive, able to spread wider than the span of an adult human’s hand. Talons are long and sharp-pointed. They can crush bone when they grip, or hold fast for minutes when spiked through fur, feather and flesh.
Expert at soaring, gliding and fast aerial dives, a golden eagle combines power, size and grace. The challenge is – how to see one.
