Emerald Spreadwing vs Golden Eagle

Lestes dryas compared with Aquila chrysaetos

Key Differences

• Emerald Spreadwing is Vulnerable while Golden Eagle is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Emerald Spreadwing	Golden Eagle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Odonata (Odonata)	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)
Family	Lestidae	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)
Genus	Lestes	Aquila (True Eagles)
Species	Lestes dryas	Aquila chrysaetos

Evolutionary Relationship

Emerald Spreadwing and Golden Eagle share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Emerald Spreadwing

VU — Vulnerable

Golden Eagle

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Emerald Spreadwing	Golden Eagle
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	30 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	5.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Emerald Spreadwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Emerald Spreadwing

Emerald Spreadwing (Lestes dryas) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States