Tom Cotner posted: After a series of piercing introductory cries that
echoed down the canyon, the eagles suddenly locked talons and plummeted
more than 2000 feet!! before disengaging only about 100-200 feet above the
ground.

My recollection is that this is mating behavior and occurs in Bald Eagles
as well as Golden Eagles.

There was an article in "Audubon" some years back describing how Golden
Eagles were "caught in the act" killing and eating sheep pastured in the
mountains of northern California. I recall the eagles were pretty
selective and ate only the livers. Since Eagles are mated for life it
seems likely that the pair would hunt together on occasion. Also, since
they eat carrion as well as life prey they probably keep an eye on one
another the way vultures do.

Herb Curl

h.curl at hazmat.noaa.gov "You may be only young once but you can be
Hazmat/NOAA, 7600 Sand Pt. Wy., NE immature the rest of your life."
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