Don’t blink as a massive golden eagle swoops in for the kill on a turkey — on video. Golden eagles are known for their size (almost 8-foot wingspans), appetite, and speed, but did you know they’ll attack turkeys?
This submitted video by Ken Little shows a golden eagle attacking a turkey in February 2012 on a farm just south of Waverly, Tennessee.
Golden eagles are the most efficient of all of the birds of prey. The hunting success rate of golden eagles was calculated in Idaho, showing that, out of 115 hunting attempts, 20% were successful in procuring prey. The powerful talons of the golden eagle ensure that few prey can escape them once contact is made. The talons of this species exert approximately 440 pounds per square inch (3 MPa) of pressure, around 15 times more pressure than is exerted by the human hand, although some opine that the largest individual females may reach a pressure of 750 psi.
Golden eagles are opportunists and virtually any animal of a reasonable size may be predated if encountered. Well over 400 species of vertebrate have been recorded as prey. Prey selection is largely determined by the local availability and abundance of prey species. They normally prefer wild, native prey but can easily adapt to domesticated and/or exotic animals, most often when the prey returns to a feral state.
