We Shall Never Forget Their Sacrifice
I am sure many of you realize that November 11th is Remembrance Day in Canada. I ask all of you to take a moment out of your busy day to think about the brave men and women that put their lives on the line so we may live in Freedom. Although we may not always agree with the reasons for war, it does not take away from the courage, honour and valor that truly define our selfless soldiers. While you are thinking about the sacrifices they make every day on the battle field, I ask that you also keep their families in your thoughts. Remember, every soldier is a son, a daughter, a brother or a sister and their families also sacrifice for our beloved countries. So take a minute and silently thank the thousands of brave men and women who selflessly put their lives on the line so we don’t have to. My sincere thanks to all of the soldiers and their families worldwide.
I chose the Golden Eagle for today’s Wild Fact as I believe these majestic birds represent strength, honour and pride which is truly fitting for Remembrance Day. The Golden Eagle also just happens to be the largest bird of prey in North America so it should make for an interesting Wild Fact. I don’t know about you but I am pretty excited to learn a little bit more about this powerful bird so let’s get to it.
The Golden Eagle is a force to be reckoned with in the animal kingdom since they can use both speed and power to rule the skies. This particular eagle has an incredibly strong beak and razor sharp talons to go along with it. If that weren’t bad enough they are also capable of reaching diving speeds up to 241 km/hr (150 mph). What do you get when you mix extreme power and extreme speed? Well you end up with one dangerous predator sitting on top of the food chain.
So what type of animals have to be on the look out for this top predator? The Golden Eagle isn’t fussy and will feed on a variety of creatures including hares, ground squirrels, marmots, fish, reptiles, other birds and even large insects. I told you they weren’t picky eaters. Believe it or not, at one time ranchers use to kill these birds since they were afraid the Eagles would feed on their livestock. You know you are a big time predator when people think their cattle isn’t safe from a bird. For the record, it has been proven that the Golden Eagle has little impact on livestock.
Although I am making it sound as if the Golden Eagle is all about death and destruction they do have a softer side to them as well. Interestingly enough, these birds of prey are monogamous and will remain with their partner for several years and quite possibly their entire lives. Together this pair will protect a territory that can be as large as 155 square kilometers (60 square miles). With that amount of land the eagles could raise their own livestock so they don’t have to bother those poor, nervous ranchers.
Golden Eagle Fast Fact – So just how big are these magnificent birds? They can get up to about 97 cm (38″) long with a wingspan that can measure over 2.3 m (7.5′). How crazy is it that their wingspan is larger than you and I? I wonder if they have ever considered playing basketball?
Before I go I would like to draw your attention to a very interesting article I came across today. The author, Tim Dalton, provides 20 enlightening examples that illustrate the cooperation between different animal species. For example you will learn how Ostriches and Zebras work together to survive or how tarantulas and frogs will sometimes cooperate with each other. I highly recommend checking it out since it is an excellent read. You can find the article at:
20 Amazing Examples of Co-Dependence in Wild Animals
I hope you all enjoyed our very special Wild Fact. Have a great day everyone and “Lest We Forget”
