Golden eagles are North America’s largest birds of prey, bigger even than bald eagles, although they don’t provoke as many headlines.

1/4-Ounce Gold Eagle: At 36,000 coins through June (vs. an average of 104,000 historically), this size projects to ~54,000 full-year using a factor of 0.496—less than half the recent average.

A team of researchers went into the woods of Maine searching for a mysterious bird of the eastern forests — a golden eagle. They're conspicuous in the American west but secretive in the east.

Chocolate-brown Golden eagles are about the same size as bald eagles. Instead of congregating around rivers like bald eagles, goldens prefer open country of mountain slopes and tundra landscapes.