Editing Golden eagle (section)

=== Distinguishing from other species ===
[[File:Aquila chrysaetos Flickr.jpg|thumb|right|Golden eagles are readily distinguished by their brown plumage, paler than most other ''Aquila'', and pale nape patch.]]
Size readily distinguishes this species from most other raptors when it is seen well. Most other raptors are considerably smaller. ''[[Buteo]]'' hawks, which are perhaps most similar to the golden eagle in structure among the species outside of the "booted eagle" group, are often counted among the larger very common raptors. However, a mid-sized ''Buteo'' is dwarfed by a golden eagle, as an adult female eagle has about double the wingspan and about five times the weight. ''Buteos'' are also usually distinctly paler below, although some species occur in dark morphs which can be darker than a golden eagle.<ref name= Ferguson-Lees/><ref name= Cornell1>[http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/684/articles/foodhabits Cornell University]. Bna.birds.cornell.edu. Retrieved on 2012-08-22.</ref> Among raptorial birds that share the golden eagle's range, only some [[Old World vulture]]s and the [[California condor]] are distinctly larger, with longer, broader wings, typically held more evenly in a slower, less forceful flight; they often have dramatically different colour patterns. In North America, the golden eagle may be confused with the [[turkey vulture]] from a great distance, as it is a large species that, like the golden eagle, often flies with a pronounced dihedral. The turkey vulture can be distinguished by its less controlled, forceful flying style (they frequently rock back and forth unsteadily in even moderate winds) and its smaller, thinner body, much smaller head and, at closer range, its slaty black-brown colour and silvery wing secondaries.<ref name= Dunne>{{cite book|year=1989|title=Hawks in Flight: The Flight Identification of North American Migrant Raptors|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|location=Boston|isbn=0-3955-1022-8|author1=Sutton, C.|author2=Dunne, P.|author3=Sibley, D.|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/hawksinflight00clay}}</ref> Compared to ''[[Haliaeetus]]'' eagles, the golden eagle has wings that are only somewhat more slender but are more [[hawk]]-like and lack the flat, plank-like wing positioning seen in the other genus.<ref name= Dunne/> Large northern ''Haliaeetus'' species usually have a larger bill and larger head which protrudes more distinctly than a golden eagle's in flight. The tail of the golden eagle is longer on average than those of ''Haliaeetus'' eagles, appearing to be two or three times the length of the head in soaring flight, whereas in the other eagles the head is often more than twice the length of the tail.<ref name= Dunne/> Confusion is most likely between juvenile ''Haliaeetus'' and golden eagles, as the adult golden has a more solidly golden-brown coloration and all ''Haliaeetus'' eagles have obvious distinctive plumages as adults. ''Haliaeetus'' eagles are often heavily streaked in their juvenile phase. Juvenile golden eagles can have large patches of white on their wings and tail that are quite different from the random, sometimes large and splotchy-looking distribution of white typical of juvenile ''Haliaeetus''.<ref name= Ferguson-Lees/><ref name= Dunne/>

Distinguishing the golden eagle from other ''[[Aquila (genus)|Aquila]]'' eagles in Eurasia is more difficult. Identification may rely on the golden eagle's relatively long tail and patterns of white or grey on the wings and tail. Unlike golden eagles, other ''Aquila'' eagles do not generally fly in a pronounced dihedral. At close range, the golden to rufous nape-shawl of the golden eagle is distinctive from other ''Aquila''. Most other ''Aquila'' eagles have darker plumage, although the smaller [[tawny eagle]] is often paler than the golden eagle (the overlap in range is verified only in [[Bale Mountains]], [[Ethiopia]]). Among Eurasian ''Aquila'', the adult [[Eastern imperial eagle|eastern imperial]] and [[Spanish imperial eagle]] come closest to reaching the size of golden eagles, but both are distinguished by their longer necks, flatter wings in flight, white markings on their shoulder forewing-coverts, paler cream-straw coloured nape patch and generally darker colouration. Juvenile imperial eagles are much paler overall (caramel-cream in the Spanish; cream and tawny streaks in the eastern) and are not likely to be confused.<ref name= Ferguson-Lees/> [[Steppe eagle]]s can also approach golden eagles in size but are more compact and smaller headed with little colour variation to their dark earth-brown plumage, apart from juvenile birds which have distinctive cream-coloured bands running through their coverts and secondaries.<ref name="Brown"/> [[Verreaux's eagle]]s are most similar in size and body shape to the golden, the body of the Verreaux's eagle being slightly longer overall but marginally less heavy and long-winged than the golden eagle's.<ref name= Ferguson-Lees/> The plumage is very distinctly different, however, as Verreaux's eagles are almost entirely jet-black except for some striking, contrasting white on the wing primaries, shoulders and upper-wing.<ref name= Ferguson-Lees/> This closely related species is known to co-occur with the golden eagle only in the [[Bale Mountains]] of [[Ethiopia]].<ref name= Watson/> Other booted eagles in the golden eagle's range are unlikely to be confused due to differences in size and form. The only species in the genus ''Aquila'' that exceeds the golden eagle in average wingspan and length is the [[wedge-tailed eagle]] of [[Australasia]]; however, the wedge-tailed eagle is a slightly less heavy bird.<ref name = "Wood"/>