Golden Eagle vs Polar bear

Aquila chrysaetos compared with Ursus maritimus

Key Differences

• Golden Eagle is Near Threatened while Polar bear is Vulnerable.
• Polar bear is 90.0x heavier than Golden Eagle.
• Golden Eagle lives longer (30 years vs 25 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Golden Eagle	Polar bear
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Ursidae (Bears)
Genus	Aquila (True Eagles)	Ursus (Bears)
Species	Aquila chrysaetos	Ursus maritimus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Golden Eagle

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Polar bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Golden Eagle	Polar bear
Diet	Carnivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	30 years	25 years
Average Length	85 cm	2.4 m
Average Weight	5.0 kg	450.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic 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.

Polar bear

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Norway. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Polar bear

The largest land carnivore on Earth, polar bears can exceed 700 kg and are found across Arctic sea ice from Canada to Russia. Highly specialized marine mammals that rely on sea ice to hunt ringed and bearded seals. Excellent swimmers capable of covering vast distances in open water. Listed as Vulnerable, with populations under severe pressure from rapid Arctic sea ice loss due to climate change.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway