The Golden Eagle breeds throughout the mountains of western Canada, the Taiga Shield and Hudson Plains regions, and more sparsely across remote parts of eastern boreal Canada. The Christmas Bird Count suggests there has been little overall change in the population since 1970, although this survey covers only the southern portion of the species' Canadian wintering range. Most Golden Eagle deaths are attributed to human-related incidents. The Golden Eagle was assessed as Not At Risk in 1996 by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
The leading causes of Golden Eagle deaths are human-related: electrocutions, collisions with wind turbines, vehicles and wires, poisoning, and shooting (Kochert et Steenhof 2002). Ingestion of carcasses containing lead shot causes widespread subclinical lead poisoning that likely weakens or kills many eagles (Kochert et al. 2002, Katzner et al. 2012). Incidental captures in leg-hold traps and snares set for mammals are known to be an important source of mortality for Golden Eagles in eastern North America (Katzner et al. 2012). Nesting success rates in northern Canada may be linked to the population cycle of the snowshoe hare (Sherrington 2010). Habitat loss and degradation can be serious on the wintering grounds in the western United States (Kochert et al. 2002), and in many cases, are driven by energy development including that for wind energy and natural gas extraction on both the breeding and the wintering grounds (Katzner et al. 2012).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
