Years ago, my son and I watched a Disney movie called “The Rescuers Down Under.” It was a tale about a boy living in the Australian outback who frees a golden eagle from a poacher’s trap.

This movie made such an impact on him that he said he wanted to see a golden eagle in real life. All I could say was I hoped that we could get a chance to do that someday.

In 2001 we had admitted a golden eagle from Sullivan County. Later I called him when we received word the eagle would be staying here at the center and that he would finally get his chance to see a golden eagle.

Golden eagles are among the fastest raptors in North America. Diving from great heights (known as a stoop) they have been clocked at close to 200 mph.

In a courtship display known as “sky-dancing,” golden eagles perform a rapid series of up to 20 steep dives and upward swoops, beating their wings three or four times at the top of each rise. The eagles dive and rise, then turn over to retrace their paths. Not only are they among the fastest, but they are also some of the most beautiful with the gold feathers on the back of their heads and necks. I have a friend who would pay big bucks to have a similar look! Of course, the feathers on the back of the head and neck are not made out of gold. Many various shades of brown make up the golden appearance. Set against the dark brown feathers, it almost appears as if they are truly made of gold.

Although they can hunt larger prey such as cranes, small deer, and livestock they prefer to hunt rabbits, squirrels and prairie dogs. Because this prey is not ingesting pesticides these eagles have avoided the same fate as the bald eagles and peregrine falcons. By preying on fish or birds these raptors suffered the effects of DDT and other chemical poisoning. These chemicals resulted in the thinning of eggshells causing them to be crushed when the females tried to incubate them. Golden eagles’ shells retained the normal thickness in the eggs because pesticide concentrations in their blood stayed below levels known to cause reproductive problems.

Golden eagles mate for life. A breeding pair is formed by a courtship display. Dynamic flight patterns are displayed by both the male and the female. The males pick up rocks or other objects and drop them and then go into stoops to catch the rocks over and over hoping to “win the hearts” of the females. Golden eagles usually nest on cliffs, but nest sites have been recorded in trees, on the ground. They may also build nests on windmills, observation towers, nesting platforms, and electrical transmission towers.

The pair work together in the construction of the nests which can measure as much as six feet wide, and three feet tall while the inside becomes a bowl-like structure three feet wide and two feet deep. The largest golden eagle nest on record was 20 feet tall and almost nine feet wide!

Golden eagle females lay 1-3 eggs and raise one clutch of eggs per year. The female is responsible for the incubation of the eggs for about 40 days. The young are weak and helpless with their eyes partially open. Precocial birds are moving around on their own soon after hatching. The word comes from the same Latin root word as “precocious.” Altricial birds are incapable of moving around on its own soon after hatchling. This word comes from a Latin root word meaning “to nourish.”

Today populations have remained steady with an estimated population between 170,000 and 250,000 individuals with a third of that number breeding pairs.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act was signed into law in 1918 and in the years since that time it is estimated that this act has saved millions, if not billions, of birds. Other laws include The Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940 that was expanded to include Golden eagles in 1962 and later amended in 1972. These laws remain in effect today but still humans are a threat to these birds. Collisions with vehicles, wind turbines, and other structures or from electrocution at power poles are all unintentional threats. Unfortunately, there are still reports of ranchers shooting eagles because they erroneously believe that the eagles hunt for the livestock.

Just like my son, I am in awe of the resident golden eagle affectionately known as “Miss Charles.”

I hope you stop in to see her for yourself and I will share her “story” and why she remains in our care.

Jeannie Carl is a naturalist at the Carbon County Environmental Education Center in Summit Hill. The center rehabilitates injured animals and educates the public on a variety of wildlife found in the area. For information on the Carbon County Environmental Center, visit www.carboneec.org.