The eagle

"It is not uncommon to see golden eagles on this route. The ingredients essential to the presence of this predator are all provided there. Good hunting grounds rich in prey and good lift for an excellent flight. The marmot unfortunately pays a heavy price given that it constitutes 80% of the eagle’s diet in summer. Chestnut brown in colour, with a 2.25 m wingspan, the golden eagle makes use of the slightest gusts of hot air and can often glide along on a single wingbeat for kilometres. In flight, its wingtips are well raised and its tail is fanned. To hunt it will accelerate near the relief and catch its prey by surprise at the turn of a natural obstacle. The bird of prey’s nest (often referred to as an ""eyrie"") is often located on the other side of the valley in a rocky bar at an altitude lower than the hunting ground so that the prey is easy to carry back by gravity."