Golden Eagle vs White-tailed Eagle

The Golden Eagle is a large, strong bird of prey with dark brown feathers and distinctive golden-coloured feathers on the head and back of the neck. Adults are between 75 and 90 centimetres long, with wingspans reaching up to 2.2 metres. When flying, they hold their long wings in a shallow V shape, with spread-out primary feathers at the tips and a broad, slightly rounded tail. Young birds have white patches near the base of their wings and a white tail with a dark band at the end. In the UK, Golden Eagles are mostly found in the Scottish Highlands and nearby islands. There are small numbers in southern Scotland, and there have been efforts to reintroduce them in southern England. They prefer open upland areas like moorland, mountainous regions, and remote valleys. They need large open spaces to hunt and cliffs or old trees to build their nests. Golden Eagles hunt animals such as mountain hares and rabbits, as well as birds like grouse. They also feed on dead animals when available.

The White-tailed Eagle is the largest bird of prey in Europe, with a wingspan of more than two metres. Its wide, flat wings look like planks when it flies. Adult eagles have brown feathers all over, with a pale head and a bright white, wedge-shaped tail. They have a large yellow beak and yellow legs without feathers, which set them apart from the Golden Eagle. Young eagles are darker with patchy feathers and slowly develop adult features over five years. The White-tailed Eagle was once extinct in Britain. However, efforts to bring them back have been successful, and now they breed again on Scotland’s west coast and the Isle of Wight. The birds live near coasts, big lakes, and rivers across northern Europe and Asia. They prefer places where there is plenty of fish, water birds, and dead animals to feed on. You can usually see White-tailed Eagles flying low over water or sitting on coastal cliffs and trees. Their large size and pale head make them easy to spot from far away.