Golden Eagle vs gray wolf

Aquila chrysaetos compared with Canis lupus

Key Differences

• Golden Eagle is Near Threatened while gray wolf is Critically Endangered.
• gray wolf is 9.0x heavier than Golden Eagle.
• Golden Eagle lives longer (30 years vs 13 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Golden Eagle	gray wolf
Kingdom same	Animalia (สัตว์)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum same	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)
Class	Aves (นก)	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)
Order	Accipitriformes (อันดับเหยี่ยว)	Carnivora (สัตว์กินเนื้อ)
Family	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Aquila (True Eagles)	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)
Species	Aquila chrysaetos	Canis lupus

Evolutionary Relationship

Golden Eagle and gray wolf share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)

Conservation Status

Golden Eagle

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

gray wolf

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Golden Eagle	gray wolf
Diet	Carnivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	30 years	13 years
Average Length	85 cm	1.6 m
Average Weight	5.0 kg	45.0 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.

gray wolf

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles), Asia (Japan), Europe (5 countries), North America (7 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Marshall Islands, Vanuatu), and South America (5 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered 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.

gray wolf

The most widely distributed wild canid, gray wolves range from North America across Eurasia in diverse habitats including tundra, forests, and grasslands. Highly social animals living in family packs led by a dominant breeding pair. As keystone predators, wolves regulate prey populations and profoundly shape ecosystem structure, as demonstrated by their reintroduction in Yellowstone. Once heavily persecuted, populations are recovering in many regions.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

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