Golden eagles are not an endangered species and have no natural predators. But threats to their survival do exist. Feasting on carrion exposes golden eagles to the danger of consuming poison set for wildlife that prey on livestock. In the 1960s, DDT killed large numbers of golden eagles in Scotland and other parts of the northern United Kingdom. More recently, wind-driven generator turbines, jet planes, and power lines have caused many deaths within the western United States, most notably in California. Golden eagles were once hunted in the U.S. and in the U.K. because of the mistaken belief that they preyed primarily on sheep. Between 1942 and 1962, as many as 40,000 birds were killed by sheep farmers in the southwestern U.S., according to Environment Canada. In Scotland, eagles once commanded top bounty prices, and a fashion developed of giving young golden eagles to children. During the Victorian era, the collection of golden eagle eggs became a popular trend -- a practice that, though outlawed in 1954, still continues. Today, populations in Scotland are under threat from overgrazing and deforestation that endangers food sources in eagle habitats. In the U.S., the golden eagle is a protected species. Possession of a feather or any other body part is a felony that carries a $10,000 fine or ten years in prison. An exception is made for Native Americans who include such emblems in religious rituals.