Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas

Kauaʻi record · kba_bird_golden_eagle

Golden Eagle

Aquila chrysaetos

Open this record in the interactive Atlas
Golden Eagle — Adult left · juvenile right
Golden Eagle — Adult left · juvenile right · OpenAI image generation; Atlas deterministic typesetting · AI-generated artwork; no third-party photograph reproduced · Image source

About Golden Eagle

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is recorded as a vagrant on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist. This is a documented island occurrence, not a claim of an individual sighting in 2026.

Kauaʻi evidence

Bishop Museum island checklist (version 2, 2017) lists Kauaʻi status V: vagrant. See original island table. A Hawaiʻi-level record is available, but the species needs a documented Kauaʻi observation before local ecological conclusions are drawn.

Occurrence evidence

bishop_island_checklist_2017

Names and classification

Scientific name
Aquila chrysaetos
Common names
Golden Eagle
Family
Accipitridae
Order
Accipitriformes
Record type
Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence
Kauaʻi documented: vagrant (2017 island checklist)
Origin
Vagrant visitor
Conservation status
Not assessed
Evidence date
2026-09-13
Evidence limits
Island occurrence supported by the 2017 checklist; abundance and current year presence are not established here

Habitat and ecology

Habitats
Forest
Food and resource needs
No Kauai diet conclusion.
Reproduction
Breeding on Kauaʻi is not established; seasonal resting and foraging habitat may be relevant.
Shelter
Shelter and structure within forest.

Threats and conservation

Threats
Misidentification against sea eagles and other large birds
Conservation actions
Treat as rare-record triage only
Monitoring
Document date, place, observer, habitat, behavior, and supporting media for any Kauaʻi observation.
Data gaps
Update island status with dated contemporary records · Specific Kauaʻi habitat and abundance need local evidence

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing
Vagrant Large Raptor Watchlist
Seasonal description
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is recorded as a vagrant on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist. This is a documented island occurrence, not a claim of an individual sighting in 2026.

Sources and further reading

Explore field guides

Suggest changes to this record