Canadian beaver vs Golden Eagle

Castor canadensis compared with Aquila chrysaetos

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Golden Eagle is Near Threatened.
• Canadian beaver is herbivore while Golden Eagle is carnivore.
• Canadian beaver is 5.0x heavier than Golden Eagle.
• Golden Eagle lives longer (30 years vs 15 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Golden Eagle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Aquila (True Eagles)
Species	Castor canadensis	Aquila chrysaetos

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Golden Eagle share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Golden Eagle

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Golden Eagle
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	15 years	30 years
Average Length	1.0 m	85 cm
Average Weight	25.0 kg	5.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Canadian beaver

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (15 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Argentina, Chile).

Golden Eagle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (6 countries), and North America (United States). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Canadian beaver

The largest rodent in North America, Canadian beavers weigh up to 32 kg and are master ecosystem engineers inhabiting rivers, lakes, and wetlands across Canada and the northern United States. By felling trees and constructing dams up to hundreds of meters long, beavers create ponds that provide habitat for hundreds of species. Their lodges and canals transform entire watersheds. Once nearly hunted to extinction for their fur, beaver populations have recovered strongly.

Golden Eagle

Among the most powerful and widely distributed raptors in the world, golden eagles have wingspans reaching 2.2 meters and inhabit mountainous terrain across the Northern Hemisphere. Supreme aerial hunters, they use soaring flight and steep dives at speeds over 200 km/h to capture rabbits, hares, ground squirrels, and occasionally young deer and foxes. In many cultures they have been central to falconry traditions spanning millennia.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇦 Ukraine 🇺🇸 United States