By Doug Backlund

There are certain words that inspire people’s imaginations. "Eagle" is one. I’m not sure how a word like "eagle" can have that special mind effect while other words only convey the meaning ascribed to them. One needs look no further than the Internet, as I did, to find proof of this effect. While searching for information on the golden eagle, I typed those words in an Internet search box. The first three pages of hits were not about golden eagles but about businesses, sports teams, and other human-related things named after the golden eagle. Then I typed in "eagle" and the list of hits that were not actually about eagles was endless. People like to name things for the "eagle effect". There is just something about eagles.

Perhaps that something has to do with just their majestic and powerful demeanor. Or perhaps it is because eagles symbolize freedom or wilderness. And although I know the better-known species of the two eagles that can be found in South Dakota is the bald eagle, I find the golden eagle much more fascinating. Powerful predators, golden eagles nest in my favorite country, wherever it is wild and remote. Everything about the golden eagle is about wildness. Golden eagles are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, in rugged and remote land where abundant prey still exists. Known to the Plains Indian tribes as the war eagle and to the Asian people as the berkut or khalzan, golden eagles have always been regarded as symbols of strength and freedom. In central Asia, the Berkutchi is a falconer who hunts with the golden eagle. The Berkutchi is a respected person, capable of training and using the eagle safely and correctly. Among the ancient Asian peoples, learning to train birds of prey started in childhood. Young falconers were started with the sparrow hawk, later came the goshawk, saker, peregrine and gyrfalcon. The last bird trained, considered the most significant and capable of taking the greatest range of game, was the golden eagle. It was also the most dangerous raptor to train. Even the most experienced Berkutchi saw the training of this bird as difficult and perilous. Golden eagles were sometimes trained to take wolves, but this was rare and wolf eagles had a high mortality rate. Despite the danger of hunting wolves, golden eagles were up to the task. On the hunt, the golden eagle is absolutely fearless and nearly invincible. Huge talons and a bone-crushing grip make short work of most prey. I once asked a South Dakota falconer why falconers don’t often use golden eagles for hunting. "Too many trips to the emergency room" was the answer, and he didn’t mean emergency room trips for the eagle.

Unless trained to hunt large prey, golden eagles prefer smaller prey. In South Dakota, the favored prey of golden eagles is jackrabbits, prairie dogs, and other small mammals. During the nesting season adults will bring prey to the nest. Golden eagles will often specialize on certain species that they have learned to hunt. In one nesting season in the Slim Buttes of Harding County, I saw different nests that were stockpiled exclusively with ducks, sharp-tailed grouse and gray partridge, jackrabbits, or prairie dogs. Despite all the fables about eagles carrying off sheep and human babies, even a large golden eagle cannot carry a load of more than 4 or 5 pounds on a takeoff from level, low ground. If the bird can take off from a ridge or other promontory, they might carry twice that much for some distance. To provision their nests prey must be carried to the inaccessible nests, often located on high cliffs or in tall trees. Golden eagles prefer nest sites that are situated in windy areas with enough topography to create updrafts. The updrafts allow the birds to gain altitude and access the nests while carrying heavy prey. Golden eagles also use the updrafts to gain altitude for hunting, so they can locate prey in favorable locations for a possible kill. In general, mountainous, hilly, or deeply eroded landscapes are the preferred habitat of golden eagles, simply because of the topography -created updrafts.

Like most raptors, females are larger than males. A big female golden eagle is an impressive bird, with a wingspan approaching seven feet and a weight of up to thirteen pounds. Pairs usually mate for life. In viable, wild populations there should be a number of mature, non-breeding birds that don’t nest until a new territory becomes available. Mature, non-breeders will quickly fill vacancies if there is a healthy population. Good territories with cliff nest sites are occupied nearly continuously, probably for centuries. Cliff sites are favored for nesting but many golden eagles nest in trees and sometimes even nest on the ground. Nests are usually large and constructed from large sticks and are lined with finer material such as large leaves, moss, or small branches from live trees or shrubs. Golden eagles nest in most of western South Dakota where suitable habitat exists. An article in South Dakota Birds Notes, published in the December 1966 issue, describes a nest found in the North Cave Hills of Harding County. The nest, built in a large hole in a sandstone cliff, measured six by eight feet wide and was about four feet deep. Among the nest materials was a straw cowboy hat. The author, L. J. Moriarty, wrote that "No signs of the cowboy or his horse or boots were found".

The usual number of eggs laid is two, sometimes only one, and rarely three. The female does most of the incubation while the male hunts and brings food to the nest. The young hatch in about six weeks and leave the nest about nine weeks later. After the young hatch the female assists in hunting and provisioning the nest.

After the nesting season, many golden eagles move to winter territories while others may remain on their nesting territory year around. In winter, golden eagles can sometimes be seen in eastern South Dakota, but most remain in the vicinity of rugged river breaks of western South Dakota. Many of these eagles are probably migrants from the north. This is the best time of year to look for golden eagles.

Golden eagles are highly sensitive to human disturbance. Many nests are abandoned due to human activities, especially during the egg laying and incubation wwws. Golden eagles must have remote nesting areas isolated from the activities of humans. In one study conducted in the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies, 85% of nest failures were due to human disturbance. Even after fledging, young eagles face many dangers, often created by human activities. Research shows that over 75% of young golden eagles are dead before they reach sexual maturity. Causes of mortality are many, including starvation, illegal shooting, electrocution on power poles, collisions with power lines, and poisoning.

There was a time when golden eagles were routinely shot, often from airplanes, in misguided efforts to protect livestock and game animals. Thousands of golden eagles were shot or poisoned every year until tough federal legislation was passed in 1963 to protect them. Some individuals continue to destroy eagles and other raptors illegally and although a few eagle killers are caught every year, unfortunately, more go unpunished.

For nesting habitat, golden eagles require natural ecosystems in large landscapes of rugged and remote lands. We must protect certain areas for their wilderness qualities or we will no longer have nesting golden eagles in South Dakota. There will be occasional problems and conflicts with golden eagles, but these can be dealt with on a case by case basis, not by mass killing of eagles. Personally, I know that when I see a golden eagle in its natural environment, I’m in the right place, too. Must be that eagle effect.