GOLDEN EAGLE ─ The Winged Assassin All Humans and Animals Fear

Birds of prey are one of the most successful and variable hunters on the planet. They are as fast as they are deadly. Thanks to their ability to fly, they have adapted to the most unusual habitats and have learned to hunt almost any prey from small insects to large mammals. The beast of today's video is one of the largest and most dangerous feathered predators, which regularly attacks prey several times its own size and pounces at them at the very first sight, even while roaming the skies and it even poses a real threat to humans in that regard. Meet the Golden Eagle. The Golden Eagle is one of the most successful and widespread birds of prey in the world. Apart from being known to wander the highest of skies, it is also known to be most ferocious. This magnificent beast range from Mexico through much of western North America as far as Alaska. They also appear in the east but are uncommon. Golden Eagles are also found in Asia, northern Africa, and Europe. As a habitat, the Golden Eagle prefers open spaces, primarily mountains and steppes owing to its huge wings, as he is not able to effectively hunt in dense forests. When its habitat is near human settlements, it is known to make an abode atop a high vertical point like a telephone tower. Clearly, this bird loves heights, but in choosing the highest available ground for its nest, it makes sure that its eggs are safe from predators who cannot possibly travel the distance vertically as much as the Golden Eagle does. Aiding him in achieving those heights, the Golden Eagle is supported by a huge body for a bird. The body length of the Golden Eagle can reach 1 meter while weighing 7 kilograms with a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters. But it's not only these body figures that you need to achieve, the height that the Golden Eagle wanders at. Along with the large wingspan, the Golden Eagle has incredibly sharp eyesight, in fact, one of the best among all living organisms, and this is why even while soaring, it can clearly spot prey on the ground and can hunt it down with a cruising speed. A supraorbital ridge, which gives the Golden Eagle a formidable appearance, is necessary for bright sunlight protection, and a well-developed, nicotating membrane moisturizes the eyes and removes dust from them. Eye focusing in the Golden Eagle and other birds is carried out not only by changing the curvature of the lens like in mammals, but also by moving the lens relative to the retina. At the same time, on the retina itself, there are as many as two zones with maximum image clarity instead of one present in mammals and most other birds. Thanks to these adaptations, the Golden Eagle can detect objects the size of a hair at a distance of several kilometers. The Golden Eagle can hunt at any time of the day, but usually the hunt takes place in the morning or in the evening. During the hunt, it soars for a long time with the ascending air currents, but sometimes, especially in cloudy weather, it prefers to look out for prey from some kind of elevation, for example, a tree or a high rock. Most often, the prey of the Golden Eagle is relatively small animals, for example, marmots. Hair is the prime feast for these savage hunters though. Large species of hares can reach a body mass of 8 kg and run at speeds of up to 70 km per hour, but even that is not enough to escape from the Golden Eagle. Its speed in ordinary horizontal flight can reach 130 km per hour, and that is already quite enough to catch up with any land animal. If the Golden Eagle dives for prey from a great height, it can accelerate up to 320 km per hour, which makes it possible to almost instantly catch up not only any land prey, but also any bird, with the exception of the peregrine falcon, the only creature that surpasses the Golden Eagle in speed. In general, birds do not very often become the prey of the Golden Eagle, but if the opportunity arises, it is capable of killing even such large birds as cranes. Although they prefer to eat live prey, Golden Eagles will eat carrion, thus contributing in a big way towards nature's self-recycling system. Huge capercaillie, another one of the Golden Eagle's victims, lives in dense forests. Still, they lose their vigilance during the breeding season and easily become victims. However, if the bird manages to notice the danger in time, then it may well dodge a rapid attack. Even different species of foxes are common prey for Golden Eagles. Despite their agility and sharp teeth, foxes have almost no chance of winning in a fight with an adult Golden Eagle. This only sums up the power of the Golden Eagle even when compared to a land animal. Its claws can reach 8 centimeters in length, and the compression force of its feet is several times greater than the compression force of a human hand. During an attack, the claws deeply penetrate a victim's body, damaging blood vessels and internal organs, due to which it dies quickly. Of course, when hunting very large animals, such as deer and other ungulates, a claw strike must be inflicted precisely in vital areas, for example, the neck or the spine. If the Golden Eagle missed and did not hurt the victim's vital organs, then the killing can be very delayed, or the hunt will be unsuccessful and even dangerous to the Golden Eagle itself. More often, Golden Eagles hunt large animals in the mountains, because in such conditions, they can kill them not only with their claws, but also by simply throwing them off a high cliff. Sometimes Golden Eagles even attack humans, especially children. Although such attacks are very rare, fatal cases have been reported. In many ecosystems, the Golden Eagle is at the top of the food chain and has no rivals on land or in the air. Even relatively large land predators, such as coyotes, usually hesitate to take prey away from the Golden Eagle, because even while on the ground, it still poses a mortal danger to them. Most other birds of prey also rarely come into open confrontation with the Golden Eagle, including the white-tailed eagle, which is almost as large as it, but feeds mainly on fish and other relatively small animals. However, some especially large birds, such as the Californian condors, can drive away from prey even the Golden Eagle. Also, sometimes large flocks of corvids can attack Golden Eagles, but the most frequent opponents and competitors for the Golden Eagle are other Golden Eagles. Large size and good learning ability have made the Golden Eagle a popular bird for hunting other animals. Most often, Golden Eagles are used to hunt hares and foxes, but sometimes they are taught to hunt large ungulates and even small wolves. Golden Eagles reach sexual maturity at about five years of age and are strictly monogamous birds. That is, they form a pair for life, the duration of which is about 30 years. Usually there are two eggs in a clutch, but almost always only the strongest and most aggressive chick survives. After about three months, the chick is already capable of flying but becomes completely independent of its parents only after six months. In the 17th century, Golden Eagles have been actively exterminated in many countries, as they often attacked livestock, including goats, sheep, and even calves, and were thought to be an unnecessary nuisance, as they were believed to steal babies from their bunks, which is highly unlikely. Currently, in most countries, the Golden Eagle has been taken under protection. And despite the fact that in many areas it is a rather rare bird, due to its huge range, its total numbers remain quite high and stable. However, still a number of issues plague the well-being of these majestic creatures, most importantly the rise in human population in their areas of habitat. Around a human settlement, these enormous birds have been seen being electrocuted when their wings or feet accidentally contact two wires and constitute a circuit on electric posts. Researchers, specialists, and government authorities have coordinated in creating and publicizing power post plans that lessen raptor electric shocks. Since the mid-1970s, service organizations have changed posts to forestall bird electric shocks. What's more, some new electric cables in non-urban regions have been deployed with raptor-safe development principles. We have to realize the importance of the ecosystem in which the Golden Eagle is a big part. Not only does it serve as the best in the falconry business, but it also is really important to maintain a successful ecological balance. The Golden Eagle hunts the weakest and ill-ridden animals, thus ensuring only the survival of the fittest, and consequently, in turn, contributes to the ecological cycle by making the best hunts available for large land animals. Today, the Golden Eagle is the most widely recognized national emblem on the planet. It is constituted as the national symbol for countries like Albania, Germany, Austria, Mexico, and Kazakhstan. It is the most revered bird species for many indigenous communities, which consider it as a messenger of God. It is believed that because these birds roam the highest of the skies, they are always nearer to God and thus are worshipped accordingly. There also exists a popular folk about the eagle feather in these communities. It is believed that the eagle's feather is bestowed upon the best humans and they are protected by God himself. In ancient native societies, the eagle feather was conferred on the victors of wars and people with huge talent. The owner of the eagle feather is to take care of it at all times, as it marks the historical importance of the Golden Eagle in mankind's history. It is upon us to preserve and nurture the Golden Eagle and its habitat to the fullest. Today, the Golden Eagles are secured by law. Protected in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, it is also included in the IUCN Red List and deemed as Least Concern. Also on the WWF list, it is categorized as No Longer Endangered. Eagles, their feathers, as well as nest and roost sites are all declared protected by the WWF. Tell us what you think of this beautiful, smart, majestic, stealthy, imperial hunter-assassin killer beast in the comment section below. Also don't forget to leave a like on this video, smash that subscribe button, and hit the notification bell for more amazing beast. Thanks for watching, see you on the next one!