Distribution

The Golden Eagle has a Holarctic distribution that spans latitudes from approximately 20° to 70°N, with scattered populations farther south (128 Orta, J. (1994a). Golden Eagle. Aquila chrysaetos. In Handbook of the Birds of the World: New World, Vultures to Guineafowl (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, and J. Sargatal, Editors). Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. pp. 197–198. Close , 129 Snow, D. W., and C. M. Perrins (1998). The Birds of the Western Palearctic, Volume 1: Non-passerines. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, USA. Close , 2 Watson, J. (2010). The Golden Eagle. Second edition. T. & A. D. Poyser, London, United Kingdom. Close ). It occurs throughout North America and northern Eurasia, and is patchily distributed in North Africa. In North America, the breeding distribution spans the northern two-thirds of the continent, as well as the western parts south to Mexico. Wintering grounds include southern Canada, the contiguous 48 states of the United States, northern and central Mexico, and occasionally Alaska. In Eurasia, the northern extent of that range stretches from northern Europe (northern British Isles and Scandinavia) to the Kola Peninsula and on to eastern Siberia and Kamchatka Peninsula. Breeding also occurs in southern Europe from the Iberian Peninsula to Turkey, in the Caucasus and much of central Asia south to Israel, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Korea, and Japan. They also nest on large islands in the Mediterranean and throughout North Africa, including Western Sahara, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Algeria, Tunisia, Niger, and Egypt. The only known Golden Eagle population from tropical (sub-Saharan) Africa is in the Bale Mountains in southern Ethiopia.

Breeding Range in the Americas

Extends across Canada and through much of western North America (west of the 100th meridian) from Alaska south to central Mexico. Formerly nested in the northeastern United States, now extirpated. Today the species nests in eastern Canada and winter in the Appalachians and surrounding regions. There are sporadic and confirmed reports of breeding activity in the southeastern United States that likely stem from past introductions of exotic, non-migratory individuals from western North America (see Conservation and Management: Introductions in the Southern Appalachians).

Alaska and Canada

Includes most of Alaska, but the density of breeding territories varies greatly across this vast area (130 Armstrong, R. H. (1995). Guide to the Birds of Alaska. 4th edition. Alaska Northwest Books, Seattle, WA, USA. Close , 131 Young, D. D., Jr., C. L. McIntyre, P. J. Bente, T. R. McCabe and R. E. Ambrose (1995). Nesting by Golden Eagles on the north slope of the Brooks Range in northeastern Alaska. Journal of Field Ornithology 66: 373–379. Close , 132 American Ornithologists' Union (1998). Check-list of North American Birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, DC, USA. Close ; B. Ritchie, unpublished data). Densities of breeding territories are probably highest in the mountainous regions of interior and northern Alaska and lowest in coastal areas including, but not limited to, the eastern Aleutians (west to Unalaska; 133 Gibson, D. D., and G. V. Byrd (2007). Birds of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Volume 1, Series in Ornithology. Nuttall Ornithological Club and American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, DC, USA. Close ), Kodiak Island (D. Zwiefelhofer, personal communication), and southeastern Alaska (S. B. Lewis, personal communication).

In western Canada the breeding range extends from the southern coast of the Beaufort Sea (east to Coronation Gulf; 134 Poole, K. G., and R. G. Bromley (1988a). Interrelationships within a raptor guild in the central Canadian Arctic. Canadian Journal of Zoology 66: 2275–2282. Close ) south to the United States border. Generally does not nest in coastal portions of British Columbia (except southeastern Vancouver Island and the Fraser Lowlands; 135 Campbell, R. W., N. K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J. M. Cooper, G. W. Kaiser, and M. C. E. McNall (1990). The Birds of British Columbia, Volume 2. Diurnal Birds of Prey Through Woodpeckers. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, BC, Canada. Close ) or much of Saskatchewan (except Lake Athabasca, Foster Lakes, Lower Churchill River, and South Saskatchewan River regions; 136 Smith, A. R. (1996). Atlas of Saskatchewan Birds. Saskatchewan Natural History Society Special Publications 22, Regina, SK, Canada. Close ). Breeding records are scattered for Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon (137 Sinclair, P. H., W. A. Nixon, C. D. Eckert, and N. L. Hughes (Editors) (2003). Birds of the Yukon Territory. UBC Press, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Close ; A. Franke, personal communication), northeastern British Columbia, and all but southern portions of eastern Alberta. However, these areas are poorly surveyed, and high densities of nesting territories have been reported in portions of the Yukon (137 Sinclair, P. H., W. A. Nixon, C. D. Eckert, and N. L. Hughes (Editors) (2003). Birds of the Yukon Territory. UBC Press, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Close ) and Northwest Territories (134 Poole, K. G., and R. G. Bromley (1988a). Interrelationships within a raptor guild in the central Canadian Arctic. Canadian Journal of Zoology 66: 2275–2282. Close ). Thus, there may be more individuals nesting and summering in western Canada than indicated by historical and contemporary surveys (CLM).

In eastern Canada, nests in eastern Manitoba near Hudson Bay. These birds nest in trees and some migrate to the southeastern United States (138 Asselin, N. C., M. S. Scott, J. Larkin, and C. Artuso (2013). Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) breeding in Wapusk National Park, Manitoba. Canadian Field-Naturalist 127(2): 180–184. Close ; Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources, Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources, Bernheim Arboretum and Forest Preserve, unpublished data). Nests in northwestern Ontario south of Hudson Bay (139 De Smet, K. D., and R. D. James (1987). Golden Eagle. In Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario (M. D. Cadman, P. F. J. Eagles, and F. M. Helleiner, Editors) University of Waterloo Press, Waterloo, ON, Canada. pp. 519. Close ), in northern Quebec north of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, on the Gaspé Peninsula, Quebec, and throughout Labrador, (140 Kirk, D. A. (1996). Updated status report on the golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Close , 141 Robert, M. (1996a). Golden Eagle. In The Breeding Birds of Quebec: Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Southern Quebec (J. Gauthier and Y. Aubry, Editors). Canadian Wildlife Service, Ste. Foy, Quebec. pp. 396–399. Close , 142 Brodeur, S., and F. Morneau (1999). Rapport sur la situation de l'aigle royal (Aquila chrysaetos) au Québec. Direction de la faune et des habitats, Société de la faune et des parcs du Québec, Quebec City, QC, Canada. Close , 143 Morneau, F., J. A. Tremblay, C. Todd, T. E. Chubbs, C. Maisonneuve, J. Lemaître, and T. Katzner (2015). Known breeding distribution and abundance of Golden Eagle in eastern North America. Northeast Naturalist 22: 236–247. Close , 144 Miller, T. A., R. P. Brooks, M. J. Lanzone, J. Cooper, K. O’Malley, D. Brandes, A. Duerr, and T. E. Katzner (2017). Summer and winter space use and home range characteristics of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in eastern North America. Condor 119: 697–719. Close ). No nesting has been documented in south-central and southwestern Quebec (143 Morneau, F., J. A. Tremblay, C. Todd, T. E. Chubbs, C. Maisonneuve, J. Lemaître, and T. Katzner (2015). Known breeding distribution and abundance of Golden Eagle in eastern North America. Northeast Naturalist 22: 236–247. Close , 144 Miller, T. A., R. P. Brooks, M. J. Lanzone, J. Cooper, K. O’Malley, D. Brandes, A. Duerr, and T. E. Katzner (2017). Summer and winter space use and home range characteristics of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in eastern North America. Condor 119: 697–719. Close ) or insular Newfoundland (143 Morneau, F., J. A. Tremblay, C. Todd, T. E. Chubbs, C. Maisonneuve, J. Lemaître, and T. Katzner (2015). Known breeding distribution and abundance of Golden Eagle in eastern North America. Northeast Naturalist 22: 236–247. Close ). Previously bred in southwestern Ontario (145 Peck, G. K., and R. D. James (1983). Breeding Birds of Ontario: Nidiology and Distribution Volume 1: Nonpasserines. Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON, Canada. Close , 146 Godfrey, W. E. (1986). The Birds of Canada. Revised Edition. National Museums of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Close ), but there is no recent evidence of nesting (147 Sutherland, D. A. (2007). Golden Eagle. In Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001–2005 (M. D. Cadman, D. A. Sutherland, G. G. Beck, D. Lepage, and A. R. Couturier, Editors). Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature, Toronto, ON, Canada. pp. 188–189. Close ). May nest in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (148 De Smet, K. D. (1987). Status report on the Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Close , 149 Erskine, A. J. (1992). Atlas of Breeding Birds of the Maritime Provinces. Nova Scotia Museum, Halifax, NS, Canada. Close ; K. D. De Smet, personal communication).

Conterminous United States

West of the 100th meridian, nests from the Canadian border south, through Washington, Idaho, and Montana to the Mexican border and east to southwestern North Dakota (150 Stewart, R. E. (1975). Breeding Birds of North Dakota. Tri-College Center for Environmental Studies, Fargo, North Dakota, USA. Close , 151 Ward, J. P., L. R. Hanebury, and R. L. Phillips (1983). Raptor inventory of coal areas in western North Dakota. Report prepared for U.S. Fish Wildlife Service, Bismarck Field Office, Bismarck, ND, USA. Close ), western South Dakota (152 Peterson, R. A. (1995). The South Dakota Breeding Bird Atlas. South Dakota Ornithologists' Union, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND, USA. Close ), the panhandle of western Nebraska (153 Wingfield, G. A. (1991). Central plains buteos and Golden Eagle. In Proceedings of the Midwest Raptor Management Symposium and Workshop (B. G. Pendleton and D. L. Krache, Editors). National Wildlife Federation, Washington, DC, USA. pp. 60–68. Close , 154 Sharpe, R. S., W. R. Silcock, and J. G. Jorgensen (2001). The Birds of Nebraska: Their Distribution and Temporal Occurrence. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE, USA. Close ), the western two-thirds of Colorado (155 Wickersham, L. E. (Editor) (2016). The Second Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas. Colorado Bird Atlas Partnership and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Denver, CO, USA. Close ), the western panhandle of Oklahoma (156 Reinking, D. L. (2004). Oklahoma Breeding Bird Atlas. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK, USA. Close ), the panhandle and Trans-Pecos of Texas (157 Lockwood, M. W., and B. Freeman (2014). The Texas Ornithological Society Handbook of Texas Birds. Louise Lindsey Merrick Natural Environment Series, volume 47. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX, USA. Close ), eastern New Mexico (158 Hubbard, J. P. (1978). Revised check-list of the birds of New Mexico. New Mexico Ornithological Society Publication 6, New Mexico, USA. Close ). During the nesting season, they are sometimes recorded west of the Cascades in Washington and Oregon, the immediate coast and flat portions of Central Valley of California, the Salton Sea, the lower Colorado River, deserts of southeastern California and southwestern Arizona, agricultural portions of eastern Washington, and mountains of northern Idaho (159 Bruce, A. M., R. J. Anderson, and G. T. Allen (1982). Observations of Golden Eagles nesting in western Washington. Raptor Research 16: 132–134. Close , 160 Gilligan, J. D., M. Rogers, A. Smith, and A. Contreras (1994). Birds of Oregon: Status and Distribution. Cinclus Publications, McMinnville, Oregon, USA. Close , 161 Small, A. (1994). California Birds: Their Status and Distribution. Ibis Publishing Company, Vista, CA, USA. Close , 162 Smith, M. R., P. W. Mattocks Jr., and K. M. Cassidy (1997). Breeding Birds of Washington State. In Washington State Gap Analysis - Final Report (K. M. Cassidy, C. E. Grue, M. R. Smith, and K. M. Dvornich, Editors). Seattle Audubon Society Publications in Zoology no. 1., Seattle, Washington, USA. Close , 163 Stephens, D. A., and S. H. Sturts (1997). Idaho Bird Distribution: Mapping by Latilong. Idaho Museum of Natural History, Special Publications 13. Close , 164 Corman, T. E., and C. Wise-Gervais (2005). Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM, USA. Close , 165 Braham, M., T. Miller, A. E. Duerr, M. Lanzone, A. Fesnock, L. LaPre, D. Driscoll, and T. Katzner (2015). Home in the heat: Dramatic seasonal variation in home range of desert Golden Eagles informs management for renewable energy development. Biological Conservation 186: 225–232. Close ). There is patchy evidence of nesting in western Kansas (166 Weigel, M. (1993). Active nest monitoring project of eagles in Kansas: 1992 report. Topeka: Unpubl. rep. Kansas Dept. Wildl. and Parks. Close ), and suspected nesting in central South Dakota west of the Missouri River (152 Peterson, R. A. (1995). The South Dakota Breeding Bird Atlas. South Dakota Ornithologists' Union, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND, USA. Close ). There are a few nesting territories in western Nebraska (154 Sharpe, R. S., W. R. Silcock, and J. G. Jorgensen (2001). The Birds of Nebraska: Their Distribution and Temporal Occurrence. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE, USA. Close ).

In the eastern United States, historically nested in the northeastern United States (5 Katzner, T., B. W. Smith, T. A. Miller, D. Brandes, J. Cooper, M. Lanzone, D. Brauning, C. Farmer, S. Harding, D. E. Kramar, C. Koppie, C. Maisonneuve, M. Martell, E. K. Mojica, C. Todd, J. A. Tremblay, M. Wheeler, D. F. Brinker, T. E. Chubbs, R. Gubler, K. O'Malley, S. Mehus, B. Porter, R. P. Brooks, B. D. Watts, and K. L. Bildstein (2012). Status, biology, and conservation priorities for North America's eastern Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) population. Auk 129: 168–176. Close ). Recent anecdotal evidence suggests prospecting at historical nest sites in Maine, but no evidence of nesting. See Historical Changes to Distribution for more details.

Mexico

Nests in northern Baja California and the highlands of central Mexico, including northeastern Sonora (167 Russell, S. M., and G. Monson (1998). The Birds of Sonora. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, Arizona, USA. Close ), and from Chihuahua and Coahuila south to San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, and Queretaro (168 Howell, S. N. G., and S. Webb (1995). A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press, New York, New York, USA. Close , 169 Instituto Nacional De Ecologia (1999). Proyecto de protección, conservación y recuperación del Aguila Real. Report of Subcomite Tecnico Consultivo para la Conservación del Aguila Real (Aquila chrysaetos) en Mexico. Mexico City, Mexico. Close ). Recent evidence shows that nesting occurs in Oaxaca and Veracruz (170 Farías, V., O. Hernández, M. del Coro Arizmendi, O. Tíllez, F. Botello, S. J. Olivares, and M. Correa (2016). Noteworthy record of Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) in Tehuacan-Cicatlan Biosphere Reserve, Puebla, Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Biodivesiad 87: 1153–1158. Close ) and throughout both Baja California and the northern parts of Baja California Sur (4 de León-Girón, G., R. Rodríguez-Estrella, and G. Ruiz-Campos (2016). Current distribution status of Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) in Northwestern Baja California, Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 87(4): 1328–1335. Close ). A recent report contains 183 breeding and non-breeding records that cover nearly the full extent of Mexico (171 D’Addario, M., O. Monroy-Vilchis, M. Z. Zarco-González, and D. Santos-Fita (2019). Potential distribution of Aquila chrysaetos in Mexico: Implications for conservation. Avian Biology Research 12: 33–41. Close ).

Wintering Range in the Americas

Most individuals from northern latitudes and higher elevations migrate in winter. However, some will remain year-round at > 60°N latitude when sufficient prey is available (172 Kessel, B. (1989). Birds of the Seward Peninsula, Alaska: Their Biogeography, Seasonality and Natural History. University of Alaska Press, Fairbanks, AK, USA. Close ). Winter behavior of purported residents at lower latitudes is poorly known but becoming clearer as telemetry data are collected from tagged birds.

Rare in winter throughout most of northern and interior Alaska, northern and interior Yukon, and the Mackenzie Mountains of the Northwest Territories (173 Fleck, S., B. Bromley, and C. Shank (1987). Birds of prey of the Northwest Territories. Northwest Territ. Res., Wildl. Econ. Develop., Yellowknife, NT, Canada. Close , 174 Petersen, M. R., D. N. Weir, and M. H. Dick (1991). Birds of the Kilbuck and Ahklun mountain region, Alaska. North American Fauna 76, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC, USA. Close , EHC, CLM). An early report suggests that Golden Eagle was resident but not common on the Seward Peninsula, in western Alaska (175 Anthony, A. W. (1906b). Stray notes from Alaska. Auk 23: 179–184. Close ). The species is rarely recorded on Christmas Bird Counts in Alaska. Rare in winter in southwestern, south-coastal, and southeastern Alaska (130 Armstrong, R. H. (1995). Guide to the Birds of Alaska. 4th edition. Alaska Northwest Books, Seattle, WA, USA. Close ). These individuals may be year-round residents, or they may be migrants from interior or northern Alaska (CLM). There have been at least 20 records in southern Yukon during December and January, mostly in winters when snowshoe hare was abundant (137 Sinclair, P. H., W. A. Nixon, C. D. Eckert, and N. L. Hughes (Editors) (2003). Birds of the Yukon Territory. UBC Press, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Close ).

Farther south, residents appear to stay in or around their territory year-round, but their home ranges are larger during the non-breeding season than during the nesting season (165 Braham, M., T. Miller, A. E. Duerr, M. Lanzone, A. Fesnock, L. LaPre, D. Driscoll, and T. Katzner (2015). Home in the heat: Dramatic seasonal variation in home range of desert Golden Eagles informs management for renewable energy development. Biological Conservation 186: 225–232. Close , 176 Marzluff, J. M., S. T. Knick, M. S. Vekasy, L. S. Schueck, and T. J. Zarriello (1997). Spatial use and habitat selection of Golden Eagles in southwestern Idaho. Auk 114(4): 673–687. Close ). Some individuals have been tracked moving long distances from their nesting grounds during late summer. For example, in 3 consecutive years, a telemetered adult male with a nesting territory in southwestern Idaho spent late summers and early autumns 670–790 km away in central Wyoming or south-central Montana. On these trips, he spent 12 to 76 days in different areas each year, before flying back to his territory. In one of those years, he briefly returned to his territory and then spent the fall and winter 40–80 km to the north, before returning to his nesting territory the following spring. (U.S. Geological Survey [USGS] and M Stuber, unpublished data) Similarly, an adult male telemetered in north-central Oregon, spent July–October in each of 3 years 640 km to the north, in British Columbia (S. McKinney, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, unpublished data). Some subadults from California, New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona make late summer or early winter northbound movements similar to migration (103 Poessel, S. A., P. H. Bloom, M. A. Braham, and T. E. Katzner (2016). Age- and season-specific variation in local and long-distance movement behavior of Golden Eagles. European Journal of Wildlife Research 62: 377–393. Close , EHC; D. Driscoll and R. Murphy, personal communication; M. Fuller, T. Craig and USGS, unpublished data). Finally, several Golden Eagles telemetered as nestlings in northern Arizona migrated each year northward to Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Canada and Alaska in the summer of their second through fifth years (1–4 years old), usually returning by late October (D. Driscoll, personal communication).

During winter, occurs throughout most of western North America but are generally absent from most northern latitudes. The latitudinal center of winter abundance in the western United States appears to have shifted northward during the period 1975–2011 (177 Paprocki, N., J. A. Heath, and S. J. Novak (2014). Regional distribution shifts help explain local changes in wintering raptor abundance: Implications for interpreting population trends. PLoS ONE 9: e86814. Close ). There are regular reports from southernmost British Columbia, southern Alberta, and southern Saskatchewan, south throughout the breeding range in the western United States and Mexico. Also winters in areas of lower elevations not occupied during the nesting season. These include the Pacific Coast of California, northwestern parts of the Mexican states of Baja California, Sonora, and Hildago (168 Howell, S. N. G., and S. Webb (1995). A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press, New York, New York, USA. Close , 132 American Ornithologists' Union (1998). Check-list of North American Birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, DC, USA. Close , 167 Russell, S. M., and G. Monson (1998). The Birds of Sonora. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, Arizona, USA. Close ). Regularly observed east to central Dakotas, central Kansas, western Oklahoma, and western Texas (178 Sauer, J. R., S. Schwartz, and B. Hoover (1996). The Christmas Bird Count homepage. Version 95.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD, USA. Close ).

Winters in greater numbers than previously realized throughout eastern North America. In eastern Canada, Golden Eagle winters as far north as the Gaspé Peninsula (179 Miller, T. A. (2012). Movement ecology of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in eastern North America. Ph.D. dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA. Close ) and central Ontario (G. McMillan, personal communication). In winter, it occurs throughout the Appalachians, from Maine to Alabama (5 Katzner, T., B. W. Smith, T. A. Miller, D. Brandes, J. Cooper, M. Lanzone, D. Brauning, C. Farmer, S. Harding, D. E. Kramar, C. Koppie, C. Maisonneuve, M. Martell, E. K. Mojica, C. Todd, J. A. Tremblay, M. Wheeler, D. F. Brinker, T. E. Chubbs, R. Gubler, K. O'Malley, S. Mehus, B. Porter, R. P. Brooks, B. D. Watts, and K. L. Bildstein (2012). Status, biology, and conservation priorities for North America's eastern Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) population. Auk 129: 168–176. Close , 180 Jachowski, D. S., T. Katzner, J. L. Rodrigue, and W. M. Ford (2015). Monitoring landscape‐level distribution and migration: Phenology of Raptors using a volunteer camera‐trap network. Wildlife Society Bulletin 39: 553–563. Close , 144 Miller, T. A., R. P. Brooks, M. J. Lanzone, J. Cooper, K. O’Malley, D. Brandes, A. Duerr, and T. E. Katzner (2017). Summer and winter space use and home range characteristics of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in eastern North America. Condor 119: 697–719. Close , TEK, TAM) and south to the Gulf Coast and Florida Panhandle (181 Millsap, B. A., and S. L. Vana (1984). Distribution of wintering Golden Eagles in the eastern United States. Wilson Bulletin 96: 692–701. Close , 182 Mitchell, L. C., and B. A. Millsap (1990). Buteos and Golden Eagle. In Proceedings of the Southeast Raptor Management Symposium and Workshop (B. G. Pendleton Jr., M. N. LeFranc, B. A. Millsap, D. L. Krahe, M. A. Madsen and M. A. Knighton, Editor). National Wildlife Federation, Baltimore, MD, USA. pp. 50–63. Close , 183 Robbins, S. D., Jr. (1991). Wisconsin Birdlife: Population and Distribution, Past and Present. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Close , 184 Robertson, W. B., Jr., and G. E. Woolfenden (1992). Florida Bird Species: an Annotated List. Florida Ornithological Society Special Publication 6, Florida Ornithological Society, Gainesville, FL, USA. Close , 185 Veit, R. R., and W. R. Petersen (1993). The Birds of Massachusetts. Massachussetts Audubon Society, Lincoln, Massachusetts, USA. Close , 186 Brodeur, S., R. Décarie, D. M. Bird, and M. Fuller (1996). Complete migration cycle of Golden Eagles breeding in northern Quebec. Condor 98(2): 293–299. Close , 132 American Ornithologists' Union (1998). Check-list of North American Birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, DC, USA. Close , 187 Levine, E. (1998). Bull's Birds of New York State. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, USA. Close , 188 Turcotte, W. H., and D. L. Watts (1999). Birds of Mississippi. University Press of Mississippi, Jackson, MS, USA. Close , 189 McWilliams, G. M., and D. W. Brauning (2000). The Birds of Pennsylvania. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, USA. Close , 5 Katzner, T., B. W. Smith, T. A. Miller, D. Brandes, J. Cooper, M. Lanzone, D. Brauning, C. Farmer, S. Harding, D. E. Kramar, C. Koppie, C. Maisonneuve, M. Martell, E. K. Mojica, C. Todd, J. A. Tremblay, M. Wheeler, D. F. Brinker, T. E. Chubbs, R. Gubler, K. O'Malley, S. Mehus, B. Porter, R. P. Brooks, B. D. Watts, and K. L. Bildstein (2012). Status, biology, and conservation priorities for North America's eastern Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) population. Auk 129: 168–176. Close , 144 Miller, T. A., R. P. Brooks, M. J. Lanzone, J. Cooper, K. O’Malley, D. Brandes, A. Duerr, and T. E. Katzner (2017). Summer and winter space use and home range characteristics of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in eastern North America. Condor 119: 697–719. Close ; Maine Division of Fish and Wildlife, unpublished data). It also regularly occurs in the coastal plain, especially in coastal marshes and even the Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey (TAM, M. Lanzone, unpublished data). There are rare reports of individuals as far south as the Florida Keys (184 Robertson, W. B., Jr., and G. E. Woolfenden (1992). Florida Bird Species: an Annotated List. Florida Ornithological Society Special Publication 6, Florida Ornithological Society, Gainesville, FL, USA. Close , 132 American Ornithologists' Union (1998). Check-list of North American Birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, DC, USA. Close ).

Introduced Range

There is occasional evidence (e.g., fledgling eagles observed, nests observed) of breeding in the southern Appalachians in Georgia (1991–2000), Tennessee (1993, 1996, 2010, 2012), and possibly Virginia (2016) (TAM, TEK). This breeding is likely the result of introductions of Golden Eagles from western states into the southeastern United States during the period 1991–2006 (see Conservation and Management: Introductions in Southern Appalachians). These birds should be considered exotics, as there is no historical evidence that the Golden Eagle nested naturally in the southern Appalachians (190 Lee, D. S., and W. R. Spofford (1990). Nesting of Golden Eagles in the central and southern Appalachians. Wilson Bulletin 102: 693–698. Close ).

Extralimital Records

Considered accidental in Belgium, Netherlands, Cyprus, Kuwait, and Canary Islands. A male was seen on Kauai in Hawaii for 17 years until its death; no mate or other eagles were seen during this time (191 Pyle, R. L. (1984b). Hawaiian Islands region. American Birds 38: 966–968. Close , 192 Pyle, R.L., and P. Pyle (2017). The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands: Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status. Version 2. B. P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI, USA. Close ).

Historically, the Golden Eagle nested throughout much of western North America, including the Great Plains (73 Bent, A. C. (1937). Life histories of North American birds of prey, Part 1. U.S. National Museum Bulletin no. 167. Close ) and Mexico (171 D’Addario, M., O. Monroy-Vilchis, M. Z. Zarco-González, and D. Santos-Fita (2019). Potential distribution of Aquila chrysaetos in Mexico: Implications for conservation. Avian Biology Research 12: 33–41. Close ). Although many of those areas are still used for nesting today, the species has been locally extirpated from several areas. The species formerly nested in eastern Nebraska, southeastern South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Central Valley of California (193 Harlow, D. L., and P. H. Bloom (1989). Buteos and the Golden Eagle. In Proceedings of the Western Raptor Management Symposium and Workshop (B. G. Pendleton Jr., Editor). National Wildlife Federation, Washington, DC, USA. pp. 102–110. Close , 153 Wingfield, G. A. (1991). Central plains buteos and Golden Eagle. In Proceedings of the Midwest Raptor Management Symposium and Workshop (B. G. Pendleton and D. L. Krache, Editors). National Wildlife Federation, Washington, DC, USA. pp. 60–68. Close ). Breeding records are lacking for Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana (153 Wingfield, G. A. (1991). Central plains buteos and Golden Eagle. In Proceedings of the Midwest Raptor Management Symposium and Workshop (B. G. Pendleton and D. L. Krache, Editors). National Wildlife Federation, Washington, DC, USA. pp. 60–68. Close ).

In eastern North America, historical nesting has been confirmed in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts (194 Todd, C. S. (1989). Golden Eagle. In Proceedings of the Northeast Raptor Management Symposium and Workshop (B. G. Pendleton, M. N. LeFranc Jr., M. B. Moss, C. E. Ruibal, M. A. Knighton and D. L. Krahe, Editors). National Wildlife Federation, Washington, DC, USA. pp. 65–70. Close , 5 Katzner, T., B. W. Smith, T. A. Miller, D. Brandes, J. Cooper, M. Lanzone, D. Brauning, C. Farmer, S. Harding, D. E. Kramar, C. Koppie, C. Maisonneuve, M. Martell, E. K. Mojica, C. Todd, J. A. Tremblay, M. Wheeler, D. F. Brinker, T. E. Chubbs, R. Gubler, K. O'Malley, S. Mehus, B. Porter, R. P. Brooks, B. D. Watts, and K. L. Bildstein (2012). Status, biology, and conservation priorities for North America's eastern Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) population. Auk 129: 168–176. Close , 143 Morneau, F., J. A. Tremblay, C. Todd, T. E. Chubbs, C. Maisonneuve, J. Lemaître, and T. Katzner (2015). Known breeding distribution and abundance of Golden Eagle in eastern North America. Northeast Naturalist 22: 236–247. Close ). The last reported nesting in New Hampshire was in 1961 and in New York was in 1972 (194 Todd, C. S. (1989). Golden Eagle. In Proceedings of the Northeast Raptor Management Symposium and Workshop (B. G. Pendleton, M. N. LeFranc Jr., M. B. Moss, C. E. Ruibal, M. A. Knighton and D. L. Krahe, Editors). National Wildlife Federation, Washington, DC, USA. pp. 65–70. Close ). In Maine, two pairs nested in 1983, and one pair nested until 1996. The pair in Maine occupied a nesting territory in 1997, and the last territorial adult was documented in 1999 (194 Todd, C. S. (1989). Golden Eagle. In Proceedings of the Northeast Raptor Management Symposium and Workshop (B. G. Pendleton, M. N. LeFranc Jr., M. B. Moss, C. E. Ruibal, M. A. Knighton and D. L. Krahe, Editors). National Wildlife Federation, Washington, DC, USA. pp. 65–70. Close , 143 Morneau, F., J. A. Tremblay, C. Todd, T. E. Chubbs, C. Maisonneuve, J. Lemaître, and T. Katzner (2015). Known breeding distribution and abundance of Golden Eagle in eastern North America. Northeast Naturalist 22: 236–247. Close ), but even those eagles had not successfully fledged young since 1984 (195 Todd, C. S. (2000). Golden Eagle Assessment. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Augusta, ME, USA. Close , 5 Katzner, T., B. W. Smith, T. A. Miller, D. Brandes, J. Cooper, M. Lanzone, D. Brauning, C. Farmer, S. Harding, D. E. Kramar, C. Koppie, C. Maisonneuve, M. Martell, E. K. Mojica, C. Todd, J. A. Tremblay, M. Wheeler, D. F. Brinker, T. E. Chubbs, R. Gubler, K. O'Malley, S. Mehus, B. Porter, R. P. Brooks, B. D. Watts, and K. L. Bildstein (2012). Status, biology, and conservation priorities for North America's eastern Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) population. Auk 129: 168–176. Close ). Causes for this population decline are thought to be due to degradation of suitable habitat and reproductive failure from DDT poisoning (196 Singer, F. J. (1974). Status of the Osprey, Bald Eagle, and Golden Eagle in the Adirondacks. N.Y. Fish and Game Journal 21: 18–31. Close , 195 Todd, C. S. (2000). Golden Eagle Assessment. Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Augusta, ME, USA. Close , 5 Katzner, T., B. W. Smith, T. A. Miller, D. Brandes, J. Cooper, M. Lanzone, D. Brauning, C. Farmer, S. Harding, D. E. Kramar, C. Koppie, C. Maisonneuve, M. Martell, E. K. Mojica, C. Todd, J. A. Tremblay, M. Wheeler, D. F. Brinker, T. E. Chubbs, R. Gubler, K. O'Malley, S. Mehus, B. Porter, R. P. Brooks, B. D. Watts, and K. L. Bildstein (2012). Status, biology, and conservation priorities for North America's eastern Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) population. Auk 129: 168–176. Close ; see Conservation and Management: Effects of Human Activity). Recent data suggest that some telemetered eagles have repeatedly visited historical territories in Maine (E. Mojica and B. Watts, personal communication). There is little evidence of nesting in the central and southern Appalachians from the past 200 years (190 Lee, D. S., and W. R. Spofford (1990). Nesting of Golden Eagles in the central and southern Appalachians. Wilson Bulletin 102: 693–698. Close ), except as a result of exotic introductions in the 1980s and 1990s.

Most breeding records for the Maritime Provinces of Canada are unsubstantiated (148 De Smet, K. D. (1987). Status report on the Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Close , 5 Katzner, T., B. W. Smith, T. A. Miller, D. Brandes, J. Cooper, M. Lanzone, D. Brauning, C. Farmer, S. Harding, D. E. Kramar, C. Koppie, C. Maisonneuve, M. Martell, E. K. Mojica, C. Todd, J. A. Tremblay, M. Wheeler, D. F. Brinker, T. E. Chubbs, R. Gubler, K. O'Malley, S. Mehus, B. Porter, R. P. Brooks, B. D. Watts, and K. L. Bildstein (2012). Status, biology, and conservation priorities for North America's eastern Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) population. Auk 129: 168–176. Close ). The species was a casual visitor to Maritime Provinces in late 1980s, with a large increase in sightings between the late 1960s and 1980s. These increases may be due to increased awareness of the presence of the Golden Eagle in eastern North America.

Although historical changes have certainly occurred across Eurasia and Africa, published information on these changes in distribution are limited. The species is present in all countries within its historical distribution (197 BirdLife International (2020) Species factsheet: Aquila chrysaetos. Downloaded on 01/09/2020. Close ). It had been extirpated from many parts of the British Isles (Ireland, England, Wales) and is slowly being reintroduced or recovering in these areas.