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Golden Eagle or Buzzard?
How to tell a Golden Eagle from a Buzzard
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| Photographer: Carl Reavey |
Photographer: Graham Wallace |
Both are exciting and impressive in
flight and soaring at a distance they can be confused. One way
of telling them apart is size. The Golden Eagle with its wing
span of six to seven feet is a huge bird of prey. The smaller
Buzzard has a wing span of around four feet. If you see a
distant bird of prey being mobbed by other birds like crows,
ravens, and gulls and, in size, that bird absolutely dwarfs
these birds then it is likely to be a Golden Eagle. In contrast the
Buzzard is a more similar size to these species.
In addition, the Golden Eagle with its long broad wings and
longish tail has a different outline to the smaller Buzzard which
has rounded wings and a short neck and tail. (See illustrations)
The Buzzard often perches on exposed telegraph poles and in
trees. Its plumage can be very variable from pale to dark brown.
Close up views are impressive.
Or
this article from Walk Highlands website
Eagle or
buzzard?
Locals who live in
Scotland’s eagle hotspots sometimes refer to buzzards as ‘tourist eagles’. It’s
understandable, because of all the identification mix-ups in the natural world
the buzzard/eagle confusion is a classic. Personally I attribute it to a
combination of three things:
1. Some buzzards
really are quite large.
2. People don’t
realise just how enormous eagles are.
3. People REALLY
want to see an eagle.
It’s hard to gauge
size when you’re staring up at something but eagles really are ENORMOUS. So
enormous that their size makes you stop and stare as though you’ve seen a
pterodactyl flying overhead. The golden eagle has a huge 7ft wingspan, the
white-tailed eagle has an insane 8ft wingspan, but the buzzard comes in at a
mere 4ft. If in doubt just ask yourself, “is that bird as wide as Darth Vader is
tall?”
Another helpful
feature is that both of the eagles have very long and obvious ‘fingers’ (primary
feathers) at the end of their enormous wings. Buzzards have ‘fingers’ too but
they’re much shorter and, more often than not, are so close together that
they’re hidden from view.
It’s often said
that if you have to stand and ponder whether or not a bird is an eagle, it
probably isn’t.
Golden or
White-tailed?
After you’ve
successfully confirmed it’s an eagle and not a buzzard your troubles are only
just beginning I’m afraid, because telling Scotland’s two species of eagle apart
can be frustratingly difficult.
You’d think the
names might get you started but sadly not. Golden eagles aren’t necessarily
golden, white-tailed eagles don’t necessarily have white tails, and ‘sea eagles’
are sometimes seen in the mountains.
Add to that the
plumage differences between adults and juveniles and the fact that some golden
eagles are coastal birds, and you’ve got something of a challenge on your hands.
Don’t despair, though, because they are different in appearance.
The sightings most
of us are likely to get are those either from afar or from below. Silhouettes
and profiles rather than close-ups in full colour. In those circumstances the
size and outline of the wings and tail are the best things to go by.
White-tailed
eagles are sometimes called ‘flying barn doors’ because of their starkly
rectangular shape. Golden eagles have a similarly impressive silhouette but it
doesn’t look so plank-like. It’s got more curves to it and the wings aren’t as
broad.
Golden eagles have
small heads relative to their longer tails, while white-tailed eagles have large
heads relative to their shorter, usually diamond-shaped tails.
Another reliable
thing to look for is the angle the wings are held at when the birds are soaring.
White-tailed eagles hold their wings flat in an almost straight line whereas
golden eagles soar with their wings raised into a slight V-shape.
Bear in mind that
these are only very general guidelines, as an eagle’s appearance and outline can
change depending on what it’s doing. There are plenty of other things to look
for, and
this handy and brief picture guide from the RSPB neatly sums up the
differences between eagles and buzzards.
If after a
sighting you’re still unsure about what you saw, there’s no shame in falling
back on the opinions of people more proficient or experienced than you. I
certainly don’t hesitate to do so, as eagles aren’t things I see every day!
Becoming proficient at any wildlife identification requires regular practise,
and that’s not something most of us can expect to get with creatures as
relatively scarce as eagles.
Many thanks to
wildlife artist Karen Hartnell for her valuable insights about eagle
identification.
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