Pathfinder Wiki - User contributions [en]

Field Guide/Birds/Aquila chrysaetos

2004-03-11T04:11:28Z

62.49.16.208: kilo -> kg

{| border=1 cellspacing=0 align=right cellpadding=2 width=233
|-
!bgcolor=pink| Golden Eagle
|-
|align=center| [[image:goldie.JPG|Golden Eagle]]
|-
!bgcolor=pink| [[Scientific classification]]
|-
|
{| align=center
|-
| [[Kingdom (biology)|Kingdom]]:
| [[Animal]]ia
|-
| [[Phylum (biology)|Phylum]]:
| [[Chordate|Chordata]]
|-
| [[Class (biology)|Class]]:
| [[Aves]]
|-
| [[Order (biology)|Order]]:
| [[Falconiformes]]
|-
| [[Family (biology)|Family]]:
| [[Accipitridae]]
|-
| [[Genus]]:
| '''''[[Eagle|Aquila]]'''''
|-
| [[Species]]:
| '''''chrysaetos'''''
|}
|-
!bgcolor=pink| [[Binomial name]]
|-
! ''Aquila chrysaetos''
|}

The '''Golden Eagle''' (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is one of the best known [[bird of prey|birds of prey]] in the world. It is about 90 cm in length, has a wingspan of 220 cm and a weight of 5 kg. Like all [[eagle]]s, it belongs to the family [[Accipitridae]].

Once the Golden Eagle lived in all temperate Europe, North Asia, North America, North Africa and Japan. In most areas this bird now is a mountain-dweller, but in former centuries it was also distributed in the plains and the forests.

There was a great decline in Central Europe, where the Golden Eagle now is restricted to the [[Alps]]. In [[Great Britain|Britain]], there are about 500 birds left in the Scottish highlands. In [[North America]] the situation is not as dramatic, but there has been a noticeable decline as well.

A pair of Golden Eagles build several eyries within their territory. They use them alternately for several years. The nest consists of heavy tree branches, upholstered with grass.

Old eyries may be 2 metres in diameter and 1 metre in height, as the eagles enlarge their nests every year. If the eyrie is situated on a tree it may happen that the supporting tree branches break because of the weight of the nest.

The female lays two eggs between January and May (depending on the area). After 45 days the youngs hatch. They are entirely white and are fed for fifty days , then they are able to make the first flight attempts and eat on their own. In
most cases only the older young survives, while the younger one dies before leaving the eyrie.

The couple remains together for life. They often have a division of labour while hunting: one partner drives the prey to the lurking other one. The prey is [[marmot]]s, [[hare]]s and [[mouse|mice]], sometimes [[bird]]s, [[marten]]s, [[fox]]es and young [[deer]]. Large [[mammal]]s like [[chamois]] or adult deers can only be taken if they are wounded or sick.

In Central Asia, Golden Eagles sometimes are trained for [[hawking]], and in [[Kazakhstan]] there are still hunters using these eagles in order to catch deer and antelopes.

<br clear=all>

[[Image:Golden_Eagle_(small_illustration).jpg|thumb|]]

There are five [[subspecies]] of Golden Eagle:

* '''Eurasian Golden Eagle''' (''A. c. chrysaetos'')
* '''American Golden Eagle''' (''A. c. canadensis'')
* '''Spanish Golden Eagle''' (''A. c. homeryi'')
* '''Japanese Golden Eagle''' (''A. c. japonica'')
* '''Russian Berkut''' (''A. c. daphanea'')

[[da:Kongeørn]] [[de:Steinadler]] [[eo:Regxa aglo]] [[ja:イヌワシ]] [[sv:Kungsörn]]

AY Honors/Waterfalls/Answer Key

2004-02-17T20:47:06Z

62.49.16.208:

[[da:Vandfald]] [[de:Wasserfall]] [[eo:Akvofalo]] [[nl:Waterval]]

<div style="float:right;margin-left:0.5em;text-align:center; width:300px">
[[image:Base of Tower Fall with rainbow-300px.JPG]]<br>
<small>''Tower Fall in [[Yellowstone National Park]]''<br>
[[media:Base of Tower Fall with rainbow-750px.JPG|larger version]]</small></div>

A '''waterfall''' is usually a geological formation resulting from a [[stream]] flowing over an [[erosion]]-resistant rock formation that forms a sudden break in elevation. Waterfalls may also be artificial, and they are sometimes used for [[garden]] and [[landscape]] ornament.

Some waterfalls form in montane environments where erosion is rapid and stream courses may be subject to sudden and catastrophic change. In such cases, the waterfall may not be the end product of many years of water action over a region, but rather the result of relatively sudden geological processes such as [[thrust fault]]s or [[volcano|volcanic action]].

Most waterfalls are the result of many years' of action of water on the underlying strata. Typically, a stream will flow across an area of formations, and more resistant rock strata will form shelves across the streamway, elevated above the further stream bed when the less erosion-resistant rock around it disappears. Over a period of years, the edges of this shelf will gradually break away and the waterfall will steadily move upstream. Often, the rock strata just below the more resistant shelf will be of a softer type, and will erode out to form a shallow cave-like formation known as a [[rock shelter]] (also known as a rock house) under and behind the waterfall.

Streams often become wider and more shallow just above waterfalls due to flowing over the rock shelf, and there is usually a deep pool just below the waterfall due to the kinetic energy of the water hitting the bottom.

Waterfalls are a hindrance to river transportation. The [[Welland Canal]] was built in [[1829]] to allow ships to pass Niagara Falls in the Great Lakes.

[[Image:Waterfall_formation.png]]

Notable waterfalls include:
* [[Angel Falls]], the world's highest at 979 m (3230 ft), in [[Venezuela]] in [[South America]]
* [[Victoria Falls]], the world's largest, in [[Africa]], on the [[Zambezi River]] on the border between [[Zambia]] and [[Zimbabwe]]
*[[Boyoma Falls]], the world's highest volume, 17,000 m&sup3/s (600,000 ft&sup3/s), [[Congo River]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo]]
* [[Yosemite Falls]], the tallest in North America in [[Yosemite National Park]] in [[California]], [[United States]].
* [[Niagara Falls]], the best-known in [[North America]], located on the [[Niagara River]] on the border between [[New York]], [[United States]], and [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]
* [[Iguaçú Falls]], in [[South America]], on the [[Iguaçu River]] on the border between [[Brazil]] and [[Argentina]]
* [[Cumberland Falls]], a [[North America]]n waterfall advertised to have a "moonbow"; located in southeast [[Kentucky]]
* [[Rhine Falls]], [[Europe]]'s largest, located in [[Switzerland]]
* [[Reichenbach Falls]], [[Switzerland]], total drop 250 m (656 ft), at 90 m (300 ft) the Upper Reichenbach Falls is one of the highest cataracts in the [[Alps]]. Scene of the final fictional meeting between [[Sherlock Holmes]] and Professor Moriarty.
*The [[Falls of Saint Anthony]], the highest on the [[Mississippi]].

See also: [[List of waterfalls]]

==External Link==
*[http://home.earthlink.net/~geoffcon/facts.htm List of notable waterfalls]

AY Honors/Waterfalls/Answer Key

2004-02-17T20:46:38Z

62.49.16.208: added m value

[[da:Vandfald]] [[de:Wasserfall]] [[eo:Akvofalo]] [[nl:Waterval]]

<div style="float:right;margin-left:0.5em;text-align:center; width:300px">
[[image:Base of Tower Fall with rainbow-300px.JPG]]<br>
<small>''Tower Fall in [[Yellowstone National Park]]''<br>
[[media:Base of Tower Fall with rainbow-750px.JPG|larger version]]</small></div>

A '''waterfall''' is usually a geological formation resulting from a [[stream]] flowing over an [[erosion]]-resistant rock formation that forms a sudden break in elevation. Waterfalls may also be artificial, and they are sometimes used for [[garden]] and [[landscape]] ornament.

Some waterfalls form in montane environments where erosion is rapid and stream courses may be subject to sudden and catastrophic change. In such cases, the waterfall may not be the end product of many years of water action over a region, but rather the result of relatively sudden geological processes such as [[thrust fault]]s or [[volcano|volcanic action]].

Most waterfalls are the result of many years' of action of water on the underlying strata. Typically, a stream will flow across an area of formations, and more resistant rock strata will form shelves across the streamway, elevated above the further stream bed when the less erosion-resistant rock around it disappears. Over a period of years, the edges of this shelf will gradually break away and the waterfall will steadily move upstream. Often, the rock strata just below the more resistant shelf will be of a softer type, and will erode out to form a shallow cave-like formation known as a [[rock shelter]] (also known as a rock house) under and behind the waterfall.

Streams often become wider and more shallow just above waterfalls due to flowing over the rock shelf, and there is usually a deep pool just below the waterfall due to the kinetic energy of the water hitting the bottom.

Waterfalls are a hindrance to river transportation. The [[Welland Canal]] was built in [[1829]] to allow ships to pass Niagara Falls in the Great Lakes.

[[Image:Waterfall_formation.png]]

Notable waterfalls include:
* [[Angel Falls]], the world's highest at 979 m (3230 ft), in [[Venezuela]] in [[South America]]
* [[Victoria Falls]], the world's largest, in [[Africa]], on the [[Zambezi River]] on the border between [[Zambia]] and [[Zimbabwe]]
*[[Boyoma Falls]], the world's highest volume, 17,000 m&sup3/2 (600,000 ft&sup3/s), [[Congo River]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo]]
* [[Yosemite Falls]], the tallest in North America in [[Yosemite National Park]] in [[California]], [[United States]].
* [[Niagara Falls]], the best-known in [[North America]], located on the [[Niagara River]] on the border between [[New York]], [[United States]], and [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]
* [[Iguaçú Falls]], in [[South America]], on the [[Iguaçu River]] on the border between [[Brazil]] and [[Argentina]]
* [[Cumberland Falls]], a [[North America]]n waterfall advertised to have a "moonbow"; located in southeast [[Kentucky]]
* [[Rhine Falls]], [[Europe]]'s largest, located in [[Switzerland]]
* [[Reichenbach Falls]], [[Switzerland]], total drop 250 m (656 ft), at 90 m (300 ft) the Upper Reichenbach Falls is one of the highest cataracts in the [[Alps]]. Scene of the final fictional meeting between [[Sherlock Holmes]] and Professor Moriarty.
*The [[Falls of Saint Anthony]], the highest on the [[Mississippi]].

See also: [[List of waterfalls]]

==External Link==
*[http://home.earthlink.net/~geoffcon/facts.htm List of notable waterfalls]