Aquila chrysaetos

The Golden Eagle is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) based on the decline in its population size and range (exceeding 80% over three generations), its extremely small population (less than 50 mature individuals) and the quantitative analysis (PVA) according to which, the probability of extinction for the species is 100% and the average extinction time is 37 years. In the previous edition of the Red Book (2002), it was classified as Endangered (EN). The change in its threat category reflects the deterioration in the population status and the decrease from about 20 breeding pairs in the early 2000s to less than ten pairs today.

Habitats	Desert Cliffs
Presence In Israel	Resident
Breeding In Israel	Breeder
Migration Types	Resident
Zoographical Zones	Saharo-Arabian, Irano-Turanian
Landscape Types	Mountainous, Cliffs
Vegetation Densities	Low
Nest Locations	Cliffs, Tree
Diet Types	Terrestrial Vertebrates
Foraging Grounds	Ground
Body Sizes	Large (over 1000g)
Threat Factors	Nest Harvesting, Electrocution and collision with transmission wires, Human Settlements in Gorges, Hikers and rock climbers, Overgrazing, Pesticide Poisoning, Helicopter and aircraft activity in breeding areas, Hunting and trapping

The Golden Eagle is a very large and imposing eagle. Its golden nape and raised wings in flight give it a royal appearance (in Arabic, it is termed accordingly the “king of the raptors”). An eagle with an almost cosmopolitan range that feeds on a wide variety of prey that it hunts using diverse methods, from catching tortoises and hurling them on rock surfaces, catching birds in flight, stooping on mammals in vertical dives and rolling ibexes and goats from cliffs. In Israel, it usually nests on cliffs, hunting and foraging near its nest as well as in locales ten or more kilometers away from its nesting cliff.

In Israel, the Golden Eagle now only nests on cliffs in the desert. In the past, it also nested on trees and electrical poles and occupied extensive areas in the Mediterranean and steppe region. Forages over extensive areas that include varied habitats in the desert and desert transition area.

The Golden Eagle population in Israel decreased from about 40 pairs in the 1980s (Bahat 1989) to between 5-8 pairs today. The species has receded from extensive areas where it once bred, such as the Golan slopes, eastern Samaria and the southern Negev. Its rate of decline is estimated at about 90% over three decades. According to the quantitative analysis (PVA), at the current reproductive rate, the probability of extinction for the species is 100% and the average extinction time is 37 years (Mayrose & Hatsofe 2017).

In recent years, there have been extensive efforts to preserve the Golden Eagle population in Israel. The breeding territories are constantly monitored and data are gathered on nesting success and threat factors. In addition, nests with a high risk of being robbed are guarded.

The Golden Eagle is in real and immediate danger of extinction, and without active management and intensive efforts to rehabilitate its population, it could become extinct as a breeder in Israel within a few years.

Regular monitoring and protecting nests from disturbance should be continued. The possibility of supplementary feeding of the nesting pairs to improve breeding success should be investigated. A breeding nucleus should be established in order to release birds into the wild and rehabilitate the Negev population, as it is not clear why it has declined so sharply.

• מירוז, א. והצופה, א. 2014. סיכום סקר קינון עופות דורסים במדבר יהודה. דו"ח רשות הטבע והגנים.
• מירוז, א. והצופה, א. 2017. על מצב אוכלוסיות העיט הניצי והעיט הזהוב בישראל - סיכום נתונים והיערכות לעתיד. דו"ח רשות הטבע והגנים, חטיבת מדע.
• סלע, י. 1975. סקר העופות הדורסים 1970–1975. אוניברסיטת תל-אביב: המכון לחקר שמירת הטבע.
• פז, ע. 1986. עופות. מתוך אלון, ע. (עורך), החי והצומח של ארץ ישראל. כרך 6. הוצאת משרד הביטחון, ישראל.
• פרומקין, ר., מן ש., 1984 .קנון דורסים בחבל המדברי של ישראל 1984-1980. העזניה גליון 11. הוצאת החברה להגנת הטבע.

• Shirihai, H., 1996. The Birds of Israel. Academic Press, London.
• Symes, A. 2013. Species generation lengths. Unpublished, BirdLife International.
• Species page at Birdlife International