Oldest known wild golden eagle dies

-A Golden Eagle- image from www.weforanimals.com with thanks to the photographer- Watson NPS.


Yesterday’s Daily Telegraph newspaper reported the death of the oldest known wild golden eagle in Britain off the coast of Scotland.

The bird was one of around 440 breeding pairs of golden eagles in the UK and its body was found on the Isle of Jura by a member of the public. The animal was tagged some 22 years ago, when it was still a chick and was six years older than the previous oldest known wild golden eagle.

On average, Golden Eagles have wingspans of over 2 m (7 ft) and are up to 1 m (or 3 ft) in length. They occupy large territories and feed upon rodents such as rabbits and marmots, as well as reptiles, birds, fish, carrion and sometimes even insects.

The telegraph’s article can be accessed here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6033439/Oldest-golden-eagle-dies.html

www.weforanimals.com , which has an impressive, royalty-free wildlife image library can be accessed here