Golden Eagles

[scel]

I was fishing south of the city. While I was fishing, a huge golden bird appeared out of nowhere and grabbed a duck from the shore and then disappeared. It came back about an hour later where it just harassed the ducks. After about 20 minutes, it seemed to become discouraged and then left, heading south away from the river. But it did not just head away...it climbed to an altitude that I had never seen a bird fly at that altitude.

 

I thought that it was an immature bald eagle, but it was so big and incredibly agile. I see lots of bald eagles on the river. A full adult might have been this big, but not a juvenile.

 

Has anyone else ever seen a golden eagle?

Do you think that I saw what I wanted to see?

[SteveM]

I've seen a few on the South Saskatchewan River.

My buddy watched one hammer a merganser in flight; huge puff of flying feathers, then he just glided down to the riverbank & chowed down.

Would have liked to have seen that!

South of Calgary is certainly within their year-round range, so it's certainly possible that's what you saw...

[fishead]

Was fly fishing the Jumpingpound this year and saw a large Golden Eagle about 60 ft away sitting on a log. Have also seen them west of Cochrane on the forestry trunk road. They make the Bald Eagles look small.

I think what you saw was for sure a Golden Eagle.

[SilverDoctor]

Migration time

[DaveJensen]

Neat stuff. There's a migration along the east slopes that happens spring and fall. I think it's about 5000 goldens that use that route. They certainly do fly at extremely high elevations. Beautiful birds that are more predatory than the more scavenger bald eagles.

[Guest 420FLYFISHIN]

i was drving with my brother in law and his brother and we saw one of the largest goldens i have eary seen. Looked like it had a 9' wingspan. We pulled over to check it out as were just on bow Bottem trail.

I think it was a "thunder bird" as it it had the big groth gean like an NBA player.

[sstoyberg]

Watched three of them feed on a dead coyote in front of my house this spring. Bald Eagles that also land were diminutive in comparison.

[bowbonehead]

Tis the time of year sometimes you get to see large groups feeding on the ducks and harrassing the Balds for fun

[Pipestoneflyguy]

Seen only one so far in the Bow Valley (about a week ago) - but probably AT LEAST 10-20 hawks for every golden eagle out there - I have stopped chasing locals reports up here because they get misidentified so often. - kinda the same thing, folks so badly want to see a golden eagle instead of a hawk or an osprey it tends to affect their vision if you know what I mean LOL

 

Pretty awesome sighting by the sounds of it, and the behavior certainly is typical of a golden eagle, hope it wasn't a harliquin that became lunch !

[trailhead]

I don't know if it is the same bird but it seems they habitually go through Calgary on their way south. I saw one when I was fishing last Sunday. And the Calgary Ornithogical Society reported some a couple of years ago that were hanging around the river even near the downtown core.