HAWKS, EAGLES, KITES: GOLDEN EAGLE 
177 
State Records. —Resident in New Mexico throughout the year, the Golden 
Eagle is a common sight in the mountains from the foothills to the loftiest summits. 
[One was seen June 19, 1924, soaring over Wheeler Peak, the highest peak in the 
State—13,600 feet (aneroid). In 1924 a few were seen east of the Pecos and in 
the northeastern section of the State (Ligon).] The nests that have been reported 
were found at median altitudes. An old nest was found, June, 1903, on the cliffs 
near Cuervo at 5,000 feet (Bailey). Two nests were noted September, 1905, on the 
cliffs near the mouth of the Rio San Jose at 6,000 feet; others on the cliffs near 
Fort Wingate at 7,000 feet (Hollister); and one at about 8,000 feet on a cliff in 
Hondo Canyon j(Bailey). [In northern Santa Fe County nests have been located 
in Apache Canyon (two downy young April 11, 1920, and nearly fresh eggs on Feb¬ 
ruary 27, 1921); also at La Bajada Hill, 15 miles southwest of Santa Fe, in White 
Rock Canyon at the head of Rito de los Frijoles, near St. Peter’s Dome, and also 
near Jemez Pueblo (Jensen, 1923).] It was common in southeastern Union County— 
noted at Clapham, the Callis Ranch, and Perico in November, 1893 (Seton). Eagles 
nest commonly near Monticello in the San Mateo Mountains, and a nest with 
eggs about ten days incubated was found March 15, 1913, near Chloride; another 
March 18, 1915, about 18 miles northwest of Reserve, Socorro County, at about 
8,000 feet (Ligon). Nests containing three eggs have been found in Ash Canyon 
southeast of Elephant Butte, on Elephant Butte (Willett), and in Socorro County, 
west of the Rio Grande. The eggs are laid in January and February and as late as 
March (Ligon). Individuals apparently on their breeding grounds have been seen in 
the Capitan Mountains (Gaut), Animas Mountains (Goldman), [common in and 
about the Animas Mountains (Ligon, 1920)], near Silver City (Fisher), near Tres 
Piedras (Loring), in the Chuska Mountains (Birdseye), and at Lake Burford (Wet- 
more); while in the Datil Mountains they were so common that they were seen almost 
every day and several dead bodies were found near a ranch, the owner of which 
said that he had poisoned nearly a hundred in a single winter (Hollister). 
After the young are fully fledged both old and young can be found at all alti¬ 
tudes, even above 12,600 feet, where they were seen over the top of Pecos Baldy 
(Bailey). [One was seen June 28, 1919, 16 miles north of Cowles, hovering over 
the barren peaks at the head of the Pecos and they are said to be rather common 
about the high peaks (Ligon).] One was seen along Red River, Colfax County, 
August 25, 1913 (Kalmbach). 
They remain in the State through the winter, though, of course, at this season 
they are most common near the foothills, and descend even to the low parts of the 
State as the Dona Ana Mountains, January 2, 1903 (Ford). In the Guadalupe 
Mountains, south of Queen, December 31, 1915, they were “very abundant” (Ligon), 
and throughout the region of the Carlsbad Bird Reserve, fairly common January, 
1915; [several were seen December, 1916; also on the Rio Grande Bird Reserve they 
were noted November 23-December 9, 1916, an old nest on Elephant Butte (Willett). 
Several were seen January 5 to 7,1919, in the region of Carlsbad (Ligon),] W. W. 
Cooke. 
Nest. —In New Mexico, generally on cliffs, but also in cottonwoods and yellow 
pines, sometimes five feet in diameter and three or four feet in depth; made of sticks 
and lined with straw, grass, leaves, moss, feathers, or fur. Eggs: Usually 2 or 3, 
whitish, obscurely or heavily blotched with brown, and with pale lavender under 
shell markings. 
Food. —Mainly mammals and birds, including squirrels, prairie dogs, sper- 
mophiles, rabbits, fawns, lambs, kids, turkeys, grouse, and waterfowl; some carrion; 
also “numbers of rattlesnakes.” 
