Golden Eagle
Eryr Euraid - Aquila chrysaetos
The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), known in Welsh as Eryr Euraidd, is one of the world’s most powerful birds of prey and the second largest raptor in the UK. With a wingspan reaching up to 2.3 metres, these magnificent birds are superbly adapted to life in open mountains, moorlands and rugged upland landscapes.
Golden Eagles belong to the Accipitridae family, which includes hawks, kites and buzzards, and sit within the Aquila genus—a group of large raptors often referred to as “booted eagles” due to the feathers that cover their legs. Their long, broad wings allow them to soar effortlessly on rising air currents, often spending hours circling high above valleys and mountain ridges while searching for prey.
As apex predators, Golden Eagles play an important ecological role within upland ecosystems. Their diet is dominated by medium-sized mammals such as rabbits and hares, alongside birds and carrion, helping regulate prey populations and contributing to the balance of natural food webs.
For centuries, Golden Eagles formed part of Wales’ upland biodiversity and cultural heritage. These iconic birds once soared above the mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia) and the remote uplands of central Wales, nesting on rocky crags and hunting across wide open landscapes.
However, persecution and human pressures led to their disappearance as a breeding species in Wales by the mid-nineteenth century, leaving the species restricted in Britain to remote regions of Scotland.
Today the Golden Eagle remains one of the most impressive raptors of the northern hemisphere and a powerful symbol of healthy, functioning upland ecosystems.
Current UK Distribution and the Need for Reintroduction in Wales
Add a UK STATUS BOX and Conservation Status?
