Golden moment

A Golden Eagle has golden-brown plumage behind its head

I saw my first Golden Eagle on Thursday.

I see Bald Eagles regularly, but then I live alongside Kootenay Lake and balds specialize in eating water birds and fish plucked from the surface. Goldens are not nearly as numerous and prefer open country where they specialize in capturing small mammals such as marmots and hares. Most of the open country around here is at high altitudes.

The Golden Eagle is probably reported as being seen far more often than it actually is seen. The misidentification arises from sightings of the juvenile Bald Eagle, a bird with a somewhat similar brown plumage. However, other markings differ and only the Golden Eagle has the lighter golden-brown plumage behind its head, a feature for which it is named.

The low numbers, remote locations, and seemingly always distant perches of the local Golden Eagle make it a tad difficult both to find and photograph. I wouldn’t have even managed to take these pedestrian images without the guidance of our local raptor enthusiast, Michael McMann.

A Golden Eagle watches for prey from a Douglasfir tree.

Unsuccessful in spotting anything from its perch, the bird then takes to the wing to hunt. A golden attains full adult plumage when it is seven years old. On the basis of the plumage, this bird appears to be six years old.