Julie's Story
Species: Golden Eagle
Hatched: Unknown
Update: Julie has already laid an egg this spring! I’ll keep you posted on the developing story!
Julie was found in a field in Abilene, Texas, suffering from a gunshot wound. We are not sure of the particulars of her rescue. She ended up at the Albequerque Zoo, where it was determined that she was unreleasable due to wing damage sustained from the gunshot. She was received at the World Bird Sanctuary in May of 1977.
In 1996, after several unsuccessful attempts to pair Julie with different males, she was placed in a breeding mew with Denali, a handsome male Golden Eagle. Apparently she had finally found her perfect mate! They have been a couple ever since, producing eggs and chicks on a regular basis.
Although not normally on public display, Julie & Denali can be viewed by visitors during our Open House weekend. They are available for a private visit with adoptive parents by appointment during non-breeding season. Please call to schedule your visit.
To adopt Julie, simply click our donation button, make a donation of $150 ($300 if you'd like to adopt the pair), and specify in your payment notes: Adopt-a-bird: JULIE. Also include your name, phone number, and mailing address so that we can send you your adoption materials!
Every donation helps to feed, house, and provide medical care for the bird of your choice! Adopt-A-Bird Parents Receive:
- *A personal visit with the bird you adopt!!!!! Call 636-861-3225 to set up a time for
- your personal visit.
- * Certificate of Adoption
- * Color photo of the bird you've adopted
- * Sponsorship Card
- * One year's subscription to Mews News (our quarterly newsletter)
- * Life History and Natural History of the bird
- * 10% Discount off WBS merchandise
- * Invitation to Sponsors-only events like Camera Day
- * Discounts on WBS Special Events
- * WBS Decal
Natural History
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Description dark brown feathers covering the body in both adults and juveniles; adults have copper-gold feathers on the back of the neck; immature birds have white patches under the wings and a white band on the tail, which gradually disappears as the birds mature; the legs are feathered all the way to their talons
Sex: females usually larger than males, as in most raptors
Age: up to 38 years in the wild; up to 50 years in zoos
Length: 30 – 40 in.
Wingspan: 6-1/2 – 7-1/2 ft.
Weight: 7 – 13 lbs.
Habitat: mountainous regions, open lands, hardwood forests, deserts
Range: mid-Canada south into Mexico; west from Colorado to the Pacific Ocean; also found in extreme Northeast—New Brunswick, Nova Scotia; winter range may extend as far south as Tennessee and east to the Atlantic; also found on many other continents
Behavior: pairs may successfully nest together for as long as twenty years; nests are built on cliff sides and in trees; constructed of large sticks, nests are lined with grasses, twigs and evergreen; same nest may be used every year with repairs and additions; normally, two eggs laid between March and May which are incubated for 41-45 days; eggs are white with brown or purple splotches; eaglets fledge 9-11 weeks later, but do not reach adulthood for about 5 years
Diet: rabbits, groundhogs, prairie dogs, turkey, grouse, waterfowl, smaller raptors, carrion
Vocalization: a series of low, hoarse “kaks”; a moderately loud series of sharp, rapid “chips”
√ Golden Eagles have been persecuted by man, in the belief that the birds prey on livestock. In reality, they remove the dead and the dying from the herds, or are seen feeding on carrion which they are mistakenly believed to have killed.
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Description dark brown feathers covering the body in both adults and juveniles; adults have copper-gold feathers on the back of the neck; immature birds have white patches under the wings and a white band on the tail, which gradually disappears as the birds mature; the legs are feathered all the way to their talons
Sex: females usually larger than males, as in most raptors
Age: up to 38 years in the wild; up to 50 years in zoos
Length: 30 – 40 in.
Wingspan: 6-1/2 – 7-1/2 ft.
Weight: 7 – 13 lbs.
Habitat: mountainous regions, open lands, hardwood forests, deserts
Range: mid-Canada south into Mexico; west from Colorado to the Pacific Ocean; also found in extreme Northeast—New Brunswick, Nova Scotia; winter range may extend as far south as Tennessee and east to the Atlantic; also found on many other continents
Behavior: pairs may successfully nest together for as long as twenty years; nests are built on cliff sides and in trees; constructed of large sticks, nests are lined with grasses, twigs and evergreen; same nest may be used every year with repairs and additions; normally, two eggs laid between March and May which are incubated for 41-45 days; eggs are white with brown or purple splotches; eaglets fledge 9-11 weeks later, but do not reach adulthood for about 5 years
Diet: rabbits, groundhogs, prairie dogs, turkey, grouse, waterfowl, smaller raptors, carrion
Vocalization: a series of low, hoarse “kaks”; a moderately loud series of sharp, rapid “chips”
√ Golden Eagles have been persecuted by man, in the belief that the birds prey on livestock. In reality, they remove the dead and the dying from the herds, or are seen feeding on carrion which they are mistakenly believed to have killed.
That's a fantastic picture of her! She and Denali both are such incredible looking birds!
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