The golden eagle

By Jeff Watson

Subjects: Aigle royal, Golden eagle, Eagles, Birds, behavior

Description: This is the first comprehensive monograph on the Golden Eagle for over 40 years, and covers all aspects of this spectacular and popular species' biology and ecology. The author has worked on eagles in Scotland for over 15 years and these studies provide the foundation for a treatment which also includes the most up-to-date information from work in North America, continental Europe and elsewhere. This global view allows fascinating insights into the species' relationships with a variety of different habitats and leads to many new and important conclusions regarding its ecology. Reference is made throughout to other related species worldwide, further serving to put Golden Eagles into a wider ecological perspective. Key chapters explore the factors limiting Golden Eagle numbers and breeding performance, particularly the all-important influence of food supply. The sensitive issue of eagle predation on livestock is reviewed in depth, as is the phenomenon of 'cainism'. Other important chapters deal with conservation issues and the species' fortunes in the past and present, with special emphasis on the situation in the Scottish Highlands. The book closes with fascinating chapters on the place of Golden Eagles in human culture and folklore, and a summary agenda for the future of Golden Eagle research.