CreatureData

Black eagle vs Golden eagle

The golden eagle is heavier: 4.25 kg against 1.03 kg for the black eagle, about 4.1 times the weight.

Black eagle (Ictinaetus malaiensis)
Black eagle LCLeast Concern
Photo: Kalyan Varma · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
Golden eagle LCLeast Concern
Photo: Jarkko Järvinen · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What is the difference between a black eagle and a golden eagle?

Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.

  • The golden eagle is heavier: 4.25 kg against 1.03 kg for the black eagle, about 4.1 times the weight.
  • They share the family Accipitridae but sit in different genera: Black eagle in Ictinaetus, Golden eagle in Aquila.
  • Both are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Side by side

Black eagleGolden eagle
Scientific nameIctinaetus malaiensisAquila chrysaetos
FamilyAccipitridaeAccipitridae
OrderAccipitriformesAccipitriformes
Weight1.03 kg3.57 kg – 5.19 kg
LengthNot recordedNot recorded
LifespanNot recorded32 years
Main foodNot recordedNot recorded
Habitatforestgrassland
Conservation statusLeast ConcernLeast Concern
Countries recordedNot recordedNot recorded

A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.

Full record: Black eagleFull record: Golden eagleCompare other animals