Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle has surged: up 410% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is a North American member of the Hawks, Eagles & Kites (Accipitridae). In this analysis it is grouped with the birds of prey.
- Size
- 17.5–39.5 in long (45–100 cm) — a medium to large raptor (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Live prey — small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and large insects (carrion for vultures).
- Range
- Recorded on 837 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 18 states, most concentrated in the Great Basin.
- Family
- Accipitridae · Birds of prey
Notable Golden Eagle Trends
No notable trend signals for Golden Eagle. See the full index history below.
Golden Eagle Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Golden Eagle is projected to rise about 59% by 2029 — from 0.05 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.08 (95% range 0.06–0.11). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±46.4%, with 20% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.08 | 0.05 | 0.10 |
| 2026 | 0.08 | 0.05 | 0.10 |
| 2027 | 0.08 | 0.05 | 0.11 |
| 2028 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.11 |
| 2029 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.11 |
Where the Golden Eagle Is Detected
BBS routes recording Golden Eagle, sized by most recent count.
Golden Eagle Population Trend by State
| Alaska | -77% | 1984 | 20 |
| Arizona | -69% | 1975 | 28 |
| California | -44% | 1970 | 120 |
| Colorado | -16% | 1972 | 105 |
| Idaho | -22% | 1971 | 36 |
| Montana | +12% | 1970 | 77 |
| Nebraska | -63% | 1981 | 10 |
| Nevada | -17% | 1971 | 45 |
| New Mexico | -84% | 1971 | 44 |
| New York | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| North Dakota | -33% | 1979 | 12 |
| Oklahoma | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Oregon | -4% | 1971 | 51 |
| South Dakota | +35% | 1973 | 25 |
| Texas | -29% | 1972 | 18 |
| Utah | -1% | 1970 | 103 |
| Washington | -11% | 1973 | 19 |
| Wyoming | +179% | 1971 | 122 |
Golden Eagle Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 2 | -4% | 1994 | 4 |
| BCR 4 | -65% | 1984 | 11 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -74% | 1975 | 20 |
| Great Basin | -14% | 1971 | 171 |
| Northern Rockies | +209% | 1970 | 144 |
| Prairie Potholes | -24% | 1976 | 15 |
| Sierra Nevada | -56% | 1979 | 14 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +60% | 1970 | 169 |
| Badlands and Prairies | +99% | 1970 | 102 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | -66% | 1972 | 52 |
| Coastal California | -52% | 1972 | 57 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | -43% | 1973 | 25 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -74% | 1976 | 14 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | -60% | 1971 | 28 |
Golden Eagle Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 410% since 1969.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.