Adult golden and bald eagles have distinguishing characteristics in their coloring making it easy to identify the species. Both are large birds with dark brown bodies. The adult bald eagle has a noticeable white head and tail while the golden eagle has a brown head with “golden” feathers on the back of their necks. The adult bald eagle has a large, yellow beak, while the golden has a slightly smaller black beak. Golden eagles are referred to as booted eagles, since they are feathered all the way down their legs to the tops of their feet, while the bald eagle’s feathers stop a few inches from the tops of their feet.