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Bald eagle vs Golden eagle

Bald eagle vs golden eagle
Near enough equal on weight
Bald eagle and golden eagle are near enough identical on weight.

A bald eagle and a golden eagle can be compared on 5 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

Side by side

Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.
Bald eagle Golden eagle
Weight 3–6.3 kg 2.8–6.7 kg
Length 0.7–1 m 0.66–1.02 m
Width 1.8–2.3 m 1.8–2.3 m
Top speed 56–160 km/h 45–320 km/h
Typical lifespan 15–38 yr 15–38 yr

What the numbers say

  • Bald eagle and golden eagle are near enough identical on weight.
  • Bald eagle and golden eagle are near enough identical on length.
  • Bald eagle and golden eagle are near enough identical on width.
  • Golden eagle is 1.5× bald eagle on top speed.
  • Bald eagle and golden eagle are near enough identical on typical lifespan.

Weight compared.

Bald eagle 3–6.3 kg
Golden eagle 2.8–6.7 kg

Bald eagle

The national bird of the United States, recovered from about 400 nesting pairs in 1963 to over 70,000 today.

Golden eagle

One of the most widely distributed eagles, and a bird flown in falconry for two thousand years.

This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

Common questions

Which is bigger, bald eagle or golden eagle?
Bald eagle and golden eagle are near enough identical on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.
How do bald eagles and golden eagles compare on length?
Bald eagle: 0.7–1 m. Golden eagle: 0.66–1.02 m. Bald eagle and golden eagle are near enough identical on length.
How do bald eagles and golden eagles compare on width?
Bald eagle: 1.8–2.3 m. Golden eagle: 1.8–2.3 m. Bald eagle and golden eagle are near enough identical on width.

Related pages

Sources

  1. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution
  2. Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)

How these figures are compiled and checked