Japanese Golden Eagle

The Japanese Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos japonica), a member of the eagle family, is a large raptor, with a wingspan reaching 200 centimeters or more (80 inches or more). A typical raptor, the Japanese Golden Eagle has piercing eyes and a sharp beak. Its body plumage is dark brown, with a distinct golden wash over the back of the head and neck, giving the species its name.
The Japanese name, Inu-washi, literally means "big eagle". The species was eventually considered to be the original source of the Japanese mythological figure, "Tengu", a long-nosed goblin. This was due probably to the use of the same kanji character for the words, Inu-washi and Tengu. In ancient times, if a child was suddenly found missing from a mountain village, the people of the village would conclude that "the child was kidnapped by Tengu." The people were probably prompted to formulate the imaginary character out of fear after seeing a giant shadow-like figure flying at high speed through the air.
The Japanese golden eagle feeds mainly on snakes, copper pheasants, and hares, but it also hunts mice, rats, and dogs. Once the eagle, riding high on the wind with its wings fully spread, finds prospective prey on the ground, it nose-dives with its wings tucked in and resolutely grabs its prey with its sharp, spiked talons. The eagle usually lays two eggs at once. The male and female keep from two to five nests in various locations and live within their nesting area throughout their whole life span.

Habitat

The Japanese Golden Eagle builds its nest on cliff ledges in mountainous country using sticks and twigs of Japanese cypress, beech, and maple trees. It inhabits the Shirakami Mountains (a World Heritage region located on the border of Aomori and Akita prefectures) as well as other mountainous areas of Hokkaido and Honshu.
Because the species requires vast space in the wild to hunt for food, recent deforestation has diminished their numbers. A very cautious creature, the eagle stops breeding freely in an artificial man-made environment. It is currently believed that approximately only three hundred birds survive. The Japanese Golden Eagle was designated as a "Natural Treasure" in May of 1965 by the Japanese government. In order to save the eagle from the danger of extinction, various wildlife preservation organizations and zoos have been making an active effort to artificially raise, breed, and protect the eagle.

The Red Data Book is a report compiled by the Environment Agency classifying various threatened animals in Japan and their present status. From a biological viewpoint, the Environment Agency has evaluated the extinction risk level of each individual taxon and compiled a list for the Red Data Book. However, the Book possesses no legal power to enforce regulations concerning threatened species.

The Red Data Book is broadly employed as fundamental information for advancing the preservation of threatened wild animals.

From Environment Agency press materials