Golden Eagle, Aquila chrysaetos, is a species of day-flying bird of prey found in heathland and shrub ecosystems. It has a widespread but discontinuous distribution across much of Europe, not appearing in large parts of Central and Western Europe. It is uncommon to scarce across its large range. The species occupies a wide range of flat or mountainous, largely open habitats, often above the tree line, from sea level to 4,000 m (European Red List 2015).

Aquila chrysaetos has a breeding population size of 4800-5700 pairs and a breeding range size of 1320000 square kilometres in the EU27. The breeding population trend in the EU27 is Increasing in the short term and Increasing in the long term.

The EU population status of Aquila chrysaetos was assessed as Secure, because the species does not meet any of the IUCN Red List criteria for threatened or Near Threatened, or the criteria for Depleted or Declining (the EU27 population or range has not declined by 20% or more since 1980).