Eagle is the common name for the

golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche ...

, and other

birds of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed ...

in the family of the

Accipitridae The Accipitridae () is one of the four families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds of prey with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects ...

. Eagles belong to several groups of

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''

Aquila Aquila may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Aquila'', a series of books by S.P. Somtow * ''Aquila'', a 1997 book by Andrew Norriss * ''Aquila'' (children's magazine), a UK-based children's magazine * ''Aquila'' (journal), an orni ...

''. Most of the 68

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of eagles are from

Eurasia Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...

and

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. Outside this area, just 14 species can be found—two in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

, nine in Central and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

, and three in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. Eagles are not a natural group but denote essentially any kind of bird of prey large enough to hunt sizeable (about 50 cm long or more overall)

vertebrate Vertebrates () are animals with a vertebral column (backbone or spine), and a cranium, or skull. The vertebral column surrounds and protects the spinal cord, while the cranium protects the brain. The vertebrates make up the subphylum Vertebra ...

Etymology

The word "eagle" is borrowed into English from and , both derived ultimately from ("eagle"). It is cognate with terms such as , and . It is broadly synonymous with the less common English term "erne" or "earn", deriving from , from , in which it acts as the usual word for the bird. The Old English term is turn derived from and is cognate with other synonymous words in Germanic languages such as , and . Through the

Proto-Indo-European Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. No direct record of Proto-Indo-European exists; its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-Euro ...

root, it is further related to words such as ("bird") and ("eagle"). Although "erne" can be used to refer to any eagle, it is most commonly used for the golden eagle or sea-eagle.

Description

Eagles are large, powerfully-built

, with heavy heads and beaks. Even the smallest eagles, such as the

booted eagle The booted eagle (''Hieraaetus pennatus'', also classified as ''Aquila pennata'') is a medium-sized mostly migratory bird of prey with a wide distribution in the Palearctic and southern Asia, wintering in the tropics of Africa and Asia, with a ...

(''Hieraaetus pennatus''), which is comparable in size to a

common buzzard The common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') is a medium-to-large bird of prey which has a large range. It is a member of the genus '' Buteo'' in the family Accipitridae. The species lives in most of Europe and extends its breeding range across much of ...

(''Buteo buteo'') or

red-tailed hawk The red-tailed hawk (''Buteo jamaicensis'') is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. It is one of the most common members of ...

(''B. jamaicensis''), have relatively longer and more evenly broad wings, and more direct, faster flight, despite the reduced size of their aerodynamic feathers. Most eagles are larger than any other raptors, apart from some

vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...

s. The smallest species of eagle is the

Great Nicobar serpent eagle The Great Nicobar serpent eagle (''Spilornis klossi''), also known as the South Nicobar serpent eagle, is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is probably the smallest known eagle, with a weight of about , a wingspan of and a ...

(''Spilornis klossi''), at and . The largest species are discussed below. Like all birds of prey, eagles have very large hooked

beak The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for pecking, grasping, and holding (in probing for food, eating, manipulating and ...

s for ripping flesh from their prey, strong, muscular legs, and powerful

talons A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or tars ...

. The beak is typically heavier than that of most other birds of prey. Eagles' eyes are extremely powerful. It is estimated that the

wedge-tailed eagle The wedge-tailed eagle (''Aquila audax'') also known as the eaglehawk, is the largest bird of prey in the continent of Australia. It is also found in southern New Guinea to the north and is distributed as far south as the state of Tasmania. A ...

has a

visual acuity Visual acuity (VA) commonly refers to the clarity of visual perception, vision, but technically rates an animal's ability to recognize small details with precision. Visual acuity depends on optical and neural factors. Optical factors of the eye ...

twice that of a typical human. This acuity enables eagles to spot potential prey from a very long distance. This keen eyesight is primarily attributed to their extremely large pupils which ensure minimal

diffraction Diffraction is the deviation of waves from straight-line propagation without any change in their energy due to an obstacle or through an aperture. The diffracting object or aperture effectively becomes a secondary source of the Wave propagation ...

(scattering) of the incoming light. Like most diurnal raptors, eagles have little ability to see

ultraviolet Ultraviolet radiation, also known as simply UV, is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths of 10–400 nanometers, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation is present in sunlight and constitutes about 10% of ...

light. The female of all known species of eagles is larger than the male. Eagles normally build their nests, called eyries, in tall trees or on high cliffs. Many species lay two eggs, but the older, larger chick frequently kills its younger sibling once it has hatched. The parents take no action to stop the killing. It is said that eagles fly above clouds but this is not true. Eagles fly during storms and glide from the wind's pressure. This saves the bird's energy. Due to the size and power of many eagle species, they are ranked at the top of the food chain as

apex predator An apex predator, also known as a top predator or superpredator, is a predator at the top of a food chain, without natural predators of its own. Apex predators are usually defined in terms of trophic dynamics, meaning that they occupy the hig ...

s in the avian world. The type of prey varies by genus. The ''

Haliaeetus ''Haliaeetus'' is a genus of four species of eagles, closely related to the sea eagles in the genus '' Ichthyophaga''. Taxonomy The genus ''Haliaeetus'' was introduced in 1809 by the French zoologist Marie Jules César Savigny to accommodate a ...

'' and ''

Icthyophaga ''Icthyophaga'' (often misspelled as ''Ichthyophaga'') is a genus of six species of eagles, closely related to the sea eagles in the genus '' Haliaeetus''. In fact, some taxonomic authorities place this genus within ''Haliaeetus''. Both are nat ...

'' eagles prefer to capture fish, though the species in the former often capture various animals, especially other

water bird A water bird, alternatively waterbird or aquatic bird, is a bird that lives on or around water. In some definitions, the term ''water bird'' is especially applied to birds in freshwater ecosystems, although others make no distinction from seabi ...

s, and are powerful kleptoparasites of other birds. The snake and serpent eagles of the genera ''

Circaetus ''Circaetus'', the snake eagles, is a genus of medium-sized eagles in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. They are mainly resident African species, but the migratory short-toed snake eagle breeds from the Mediterranean basin into Russia, the ...

'', ''

Terathopius The bateleur (; ''Terathopius ecaudatus''), also known as the bateleur eagle, is a medium-sized eagle in the family Accipitridae. It is often considered a relative of the snake eagles and, like them, it is classified within the subfamily Circaet ...

'', and ''

Spilornis ''Spilornis'' is a genus of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae The Accipitridae () is one of the four families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds of prey with strongly hooked bills and variable mor ...

'' predominantly prey on the great diversity of

snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...

s found in the tropics of Africa and Asia. The eagles of the genus ''

'' are often the top birds of prey in open habitats, taking almost any medium-sized

they can catch. Where ''Aquila'' eagles are absent, other eagles, such as the buteonine

black-chested buzzard-eagle The black-chested buzzard-eagle (''Geranoaetus melanoleucus'') is a bird of prey of the hawk and eagle family (biology), family (Accipitridae). It lives in open regions of South America. This species is also known as the black buzzard-eagle, the ...

of South America, may assume the position of top raptorial predator in open areas. Many other eagles, including the species-rich genus ''

Spizaetus ''Spizaetus'' is the typical hawk-eagle birds of prey genus found in the tropics of the Americas. It was however used to indicate a group of tropical eagles that included species occurring in southern and southeastern Asia and one representativ ...

'', live predominantly in woodlands and forests. These eagles often target various arboreal or ground-dwelling mammals and birds, which are often unsuspectingly ambushed in such dense, knotty environments. Hunting techniques differ among the species and genera, with some individual eagles having engaged in quite varied techniques based on their environment and prey at any given time. Most eagles grab prey without landing and take flight with it, so the prey can be carried to a perch and torn apart. The

is noted for having flown with the heaviest load verified to be carried by any flying bird, since one eagle flew with a

mule deer The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer. Unlike the related whit ...

fawn. However, a few eagles may target prey considerably heavier than themselves; such prey is too heavy to fly with, thus it is either eaten at the site of the kill or taken in pieces back to a perch or nest. Golden and

crowned eagle The crowned eagle, also known as the African crowned eagle or the crowned hawk-eagle (''Stephanoaetus coronatus''), is a large bird of prey found in sub-Saharan Africa; in Southern Africa, it is restricted to more easterly areas.Sinclair & Ryan ...

s have killed

ungulate Ungulates ( ) are members of the diverse clade Euungulata ("true ungulates"), which primarily consists of large mammals with Hoof, hooves. Once part of the clade "Ungulata" along with the clade Paenungulata, "Ungulata" has since been determined ...

s weighing up to and a

martial eagle The martial eagle (''Polemaetus bellicosus'') is a large eagle native to sub-Saharan Africa.Ferguson-Lees & Christie, ''Raptors of the World''. Houghton Mifflin Company (2001), . It is the only member of the genus ''Polemaetus''. A species of t ...

even killed a

duiker A duiker is a small to medium-sized brown antelope native to sub-Saharan Africa, found in heavily wooded areas. The 22 extant species, including three sometimes considered to be subspecies of the other species, form the subfamily Cephalophinae ...

, 7–8 times heavier than the preying eagle. Authors on birds

David Allen Sibley David Allen Sibley (born October 22, 1961, in Plattsburgh, New York) is an American ornithologist. He is the author and illustrator of '' The Sibley Guide to Birds'', which rivals Roger Tory Peterson's as the most comprehensive guides for Nor ...

Pete Dunne Peter Thomas England (born 9 November 1993) is an English professional wrestler best known under the ring name Pete Dunne. As of April 2017, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand, and is one-half of the New Catch Republic wit ...

, and Clay Sutton described the behavioral difference between hunting eagles and other birds of prey thus (in this case the bald and golden eagles as compared to other North American raptors):

They have at least one singular characteristic. It has been observed that most birds of prey look back over their shoulders before striking prey (or shortly thereafter); predation is after all a two-edged sword. All hawks seem to have this habit, from the smallest kestrel to the largest Ferruginous – but not the Eagles.

Among the eagles are some of the largest birds of prey: only the

condor Condor is the common name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. The name derives from the Quechua language, Quechua ''kuntur''. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere. One species, the And ...

s and some of the

Old World vulture Old World vultures are vultures that are found in the Old World, i.e. the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa, and which belong to the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, buzzards, kites, and hawks. Old World vultures are not ...

s are markedly larger. It is regularly debated which should be considered the largest species of eagle. They could be measured variously in total length, body mass, or wingspan. Different lifestyle needs among various eagles result in variable measurements from species to species. For example, many forest-dwelling eagles, including the very large

harpy eagle The harpy eagle (''Harpia harpyja'') is a large Neotropical realm, neotropical species of eagle. It is also called the American harpy eagle to distinguish it from the Papuan eagle, which is sometimes known as the New Guinea Harpy Eagle, New Guin ...

, have relatively short wingspans, a feature necessary for being able to maneuver in quick, short bursts through densely forested habitats. Eagles in the genus ''Aquila'', found almost exclusively in open country, are noted for their ability to soar, and have relatively long wings for their size. These lists of the top five eagles are based on weight, length, and wingspan, respectively. Unless otherwise noted by reference, the figures listed are the median reported for each measurement in the guide ''Raptors of the World'' in which only measurements that could be personally verified by the authors were listed.

Habitat

The eagles are generally distributed in all types of habitats and nearly all parts of the world. The birds can be found in northern tundra to tropical rainforests and deserts. In North America, bald eagles and golden eagles are very common.

Distribution

Australasian Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different contexts, ...

** Australia:

(range extends into southern New Guinea),

white-bellied sea-eagle The white-bellied sea eagle (''Icthyophaga leucogaster''), also known as the white-breasted sea eagle, is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Originally described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788, it is closely related ...

(range extends into Asia),

little eagle The little eagle (''Hieraaetus morphnoides'') is a very small eagle endemic to Australia. Taxonomy John Gould Species description, described the little eagle in 1841. The distinctive pygmy eagle has long been considered a subspecies, but a 2009 ...

. ** New Guinea:

Papuan eagle The Papuan eagle (''Harpyopsis novaeguineae'') is a large bird of prey.Ferguson-Lees, J., & Christie, D. A. (2001). ''Raptors of the World''. Christopher Helm, London, UK. It is also known by several other names, including Papuan harpy eagle, New ...

pygmy eagle The pygmy eagle or New Guinea hawk-eagle (''Hieraaetus weiskei'') is a bird of prey found in New Guinea. Its natural habitats are primarily subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. It is one o ...

. *

Nearctic The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America ...

(USA and Canada):

(also found in Palearctic),

. *

Neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In biogeogra ...

(Central and South America): ''

'' (four species), solitary eagles (two spp.),

crested eagle The crested eagle (''Morphnus guianensis'') is a large Neotropical eagle. It is the only member of the genus ''Morphnus''. The crested eagle can grow up to long, with a wingspan up to , and weigh up to . The plumage varies between a light br ...

. *

Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, it stretches across Europe and Asia, north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. Th ...

(

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Northern Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

without

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

and

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

) **

Golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...

White-tailed eagle The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), sometimes known as the 'sea eagle', is a large bird of prey, widely distributed across temperate Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which also ...

. *

Subsaharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the African countries and territ ...

African fish eagle The African fish eagle (''Icthyophaga vocifer'') or the African sea eagle is a large species of eagle found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply occur. It is the national bird of Malawi, ...

Martial Eagle The martial eagle (''Polemaetus bellicosus'') is a large eagle native to sub-Saharan Africa.Ferguson-Lees & Christie, ''Raptors of the World''. Houghton Mifflin Company (2001), . It is the only member of the genus ''Polemaetus''. A species of t ...

Crowned eagle The crowned eagle, also known as the African crowned eagle or the crowned hawk-eagle (''Stephanoaetus coronatus''), is a large bird of prey found in sub-Saharan Africa; in Southern Africa, it is restricted to more easterly areas.Sinclair & Ryan ...

Verreaux's eagle Verreaux's eagle (''Aquila verreauxii'') is a large, mostly African, bird of prey. It is also called the black eagle, especially in southern Africa, not to be confused with the black eagle (''Ictinaetus malayensis'') of south and southeast Asia. ...

Tawny eagle The tawny eagle (''Aquila rapax'') is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family ''Accipitridae''. Its heavily feathered legs mark it as a member of the subfamily Aquilinae, also known as booted eagles.Helbig, A. J., Kocum, ...

Long-crested eagle The long-crested eagle (''Lophaetus occipitalis'') is an African bird of prey characterised by its shaggy crest of feathers. In the family Accipitridae which includes all the eagles, it is currently placed in a monotypic genus ''Lophaetus''. It ...

Groups

Eagles are often informally divided into four groups. from The snake eagles are placed in the subfamily

Circaetinae Circaetinae is a subfamily of the family Accipitridae which contains a group of medium to large broad-winged birds of prey. The group is sometimes treated as tribe Circaetini. These birds mainly specialise in feeding on snakes and other reptiles ...

. The fish eagles, booted eagles, and harpy eagles have traditionally been placed in the subfamily

Buteoninae The Buteoninae are a subfamily of birds of prey which consists of medium to large, broad-winged species. They have large, powerful, hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, and powerful talons. They also have extremely keen ...

together with the buzzard-hawks (buteonine hawks) and harriers. Some authors may treat these groups as tribes of the Buteoninae; Lerner & Mindell proposed separating the eagle groups into their own subfamilies of

Fish eagles

Sea eagles or fish eagles take fish as a large part of their diets, either fresh or as carrion. Proposed subfamily Haliaeetinae. Genera: ''

'', ''

''. Some authors include ''Gypohierax angolensis'', the "vulturine fish eagle" (also called the

palm-nut vulture The palm-nut vulture (''Gypohierax angolensis'') or vulturine fish eagle, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae (which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, buzzards and harriers, vultures, and eagles). It is the ...

) in this group. However, genetic analyses indicate it is related to a grouping of ''Neophron''–''Gypaetus''–''Eutriorchis'' (

Egyptian vulture The Egyptian vulture (''Neophron percnopterus''), also called the white scavenger vulture or pharaoh's chicken, is a small Old World vulture in the monotypic genus ''Neophron''. It is widely distributed from the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa ...

bearded vulture The bearded vulture (''Gypaetus barbatus''), also known as the lammergeier and ossifrage, is a very large bird of prey in the Monotypic taxon, monotypic genus ''Gypaetus''. The bearded vulture is the only known vertebrate whose diet consists of ...

(lammergeier), and Madagascar serpent eagle). The fish eagles have a close genetic relationship with ''Haliastur'' and ''Milvus''; the whole group is only distantly related to the ''Buteo'' group. Fish eagles exist in every continent throughout the world, except for South America. Although fish eagles can be found in many different places around the world, they have been classified as "Near Threatened". Reasons such as overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction, and the use of pesticides have contributed to the species' rapid population drop.

Booted eagles

The booted eagle is a group of eagle that typically migrates across the Sahara Desert to Europe. It usually reaches Europe around the beginning of March and leaves by the end of September. These types of eagles usually mate with the same partner and return to the same areas years later. Female booted eagles usually lay 1-4 eggs, which promptly hatch after 37 to 40 days. Researchers estimate that there are between 3600 and 6900 pairs of booted eagles in Europe, which are mostly situated in the Iberian Peninsula. Booted eagle in flight

Booted eagles or "true eagles" have feathered tarsi (lower legs). Tribe Aquililae or proposed subfamily Aquilinae. Genera: ''Aquila'', ''Hieraaetus''; ''Spizaetus'', ''Oroaetus'', ''Spizastur''; ''Nisaetus''; ''Ictinaetus'', ''Lophoaetus''; ''Polemaetus''; and ''Stephanoaetus''. See comments under #Species, eagle species for changes to the composition of these genera.

Snake eagles

Most snake or serpent eagles, as the name suggests, primarily prey on snakes. * Subfamily

. Genera: ''Circaetus'', ''Spilornis'', ''Dryotriorchis'', ''Terathopius''. * ''Eutriorchis'' (subfamily Gypaetinae or Circaetinae). Despite filling the niche of a snake eagle, genetic studies suggest that the Madagascar serpent eagle (''Eutriorchis'') is not related to them. Over several decades, a great deal of research has been done on the Snake-eagle's diet, which is mainly made up of reptiles, especially snakes. When it comes to catching snakes, it is generally accepted that the bird exhibits generalist feeding behavior, which means it does not hunt down specific types of snakes but rather feeds on them depending on their availability in the wild.

Harpy eagles

Harpy eagles or "giant forest eagles" are large eagles that inhabit tropical forests. The group contains two to six species, depending on the author. Although these birds occupy similar niches and have traditionally been grouped, they are not all related: the solitary eagles are related to the black hawks and the Philippine eagle to the snake eagles. * Harpy eagles (proposed subfamily Harpiinae) ** ''Harpia harpyja'',

― Central and South America. ** ''Morphnus guianensis'',

― Central and South America. ** ''Harpyopsis novaeguineae'',

― New Guinea. * Philippine eagle ** ''Pithecophaga jefferyi'', Philippine eagle ― Philippines. * Solitary eagles ** Chaco eagle or crowned solitary eagle, ''Buteogallus'' (formerly ''Harpyhaliaetus'') ''coronatus'' ― South America. ** Solitary eagle or montane solitary eagle, ''Buteogallus'' (formerly ''Harpyhaliaetus'') ''solitarius'' ― South America.

Species

Major new research into eagle Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy suggests that the important genera ''Aquila'' and ''Hieraaetus'' are not composed of nearest relatives, and it is likely that a reclassification of these genera will soon take place, with some species being moved to ''Lophaetus'' or ''Ictinaetus''. *Bonelli's eagle and the African hawk-eagle have been moved from ''Hieraaetus'' to ''Aquila''. *Either the greater spotted eagle and lesser spotted eagle should move from ''Aquila'' to join the long-crested eagle in ''Lophaetus'', or, perhaps better, all three of these species should move to ''Ictinaetus'' with the black eagle. *The steppe eagle and tawny eagle, once thought to be conspecificity, conspecific, are not even each other's nearest relatives. Family Accipitridae *Subfamily

– hawks (buzzards), true eagles and seaeagles **Genus ''Geranoaetus'' ***Black-chested buzzard-eagle, ''Geranoaetus melanoleucus'' **Genus ''Harpyhaliaetus'' ***Chaco eagle, ''Buteogallus coronatus'' ***Solitary eagle, ''H. solitarius'' **Genus ''Morphnus'' ***Crested eagle, ''Morphnus guianensis'' **Genus ''Harpia'' ***Harpy eagle, ''Harpia harpyja'' **Genus ''Pithecophaga'' ***Philippine eagle, ''Pithecophaga jefferyi'' **Genus ''Harpyopsis'' ***

, ''Harpyopsis novaeguineae'' **Genus ''

'' ***Black hawk-eagle, ''S. tyrannus'' ***Ornate hawk-eagle, ''S. ornatus'' ***Black-and-white hawk-eagle, ''S. melanoleucus'' – formerly ''Spizastur'' ***Black-and-chestnut eagle, ''S. isidori'' – formerly ''Oroaetus'' **Genus ''Nisaetus'' – previously included in ''Spizaetus'' ***Changeable hawk-eagle, ''N. cirrhatus'' ****Flores hawk-eagle ''N. floris'' – earlier a subspecies, ''S. c. floris'' ***Sulawesi hawk-eagle, ''N. lanceolatus'' ***Mountain hawk-eagle, ''N. nipalensis'' ****Legge's hawk-eagle, ''Nisaetus kelaarti'' – previously a race of ''S. nipalensis'' ***Blyth's hawk-eagle, ''N. alboniger'' ***Javan hawk-eagle, ''N. bartelsi'' ***(Northern) Philippine hawk-eagle, ''N. philippensis'' ****Pinsker's hawk-eagle (Southern Philippine hawk-eagle), ''Nisaetus pinskeri'' – earlier ''S. philippensis pinskeri'' ***Wallace's hawk-eagle, ''N. nanus'' **Genus ''Lophaetus'' ***

, ''Lophaetus occipitalis'' – possibly belongs in ''Ictinaetus'' **Genus ''Stephanoaetus'' ***

, ''Stephanoaetus coronatus'' ***Malagasy crowned eagle, ''Stephanoaetus mahery'' **Genus ''Polemaetus'' ***Martial eagle, ''Polemaetus bellicosus'' **Genus ''Hieraaetus'' ***Ayres's hawk-eagle, ''H. ayresii'' ***Little eagle, ''H. morphnoides'' ***Pygmy eagle, ''H. weiskei'' – previously subspecies ''H. m. weiskei'' ***Booted eagle, ''H. pennatus'' ***Haast's eagle, †H. moorei **Genus ''Lophotriorchis'' ***Rufous-bellied eagle, ''L. kienerii'' Eagle Lahore Zoo June302005

**Genus ''

'' ***Bonelli's eagle, ''Aquila fasciata'' – formerly ''Hieraaetus fasciatus'' ***African hawk-eagle, ''A. spilogaster'' – formerly in ''Hieraaetus'' ***Cassin's hawk-eagle, ''A. africana'' – formerly in ''Hieraaetus'' or ''Spizaetus'' genera ***

, ''A. chrysaetos'' ***Eastern imperial eagle, ''A. heliaca'' ***Spanish imperial eagle ''A. adalberti'' ***Steppe eagle, ''A. nipalensis'' ***

, ''A. rapax'' ***Greater spotted eagle, ''A. clanga'' – to be moved to ''Lophaetus'' or ''Ictinaetus'' ***Lesser spotted eagle, ''A. pomarina'' – to be moved to ''Lophaetus'' or ''Ictinaetus'' ***Indian spotted eagle, ''A. hastata'' – to be moved to ''Lophaetus'' or ''Ictinaetus'' ***

, ''A. verreauxii'' ***Gurney's eagle, ''A. gurneyi'' ***Wahlberg's eagle, ''A. wahlbergi'' – to be moved to ''Hieraaetus'' ***Wedge-tailed eagle, ''A. audax'' **Genus ''Ictinaetus'' ***Black eagle, ''Ictinaetus malaiensis'' **Genus ''

'' ***

, ''Haliaeetus albicilla'' ***Bald eagle, ''H. leucocephalus'' ***Steller's sea eagle, ''H. pelagicus'' ***Pallas' sea eagle, ''H. leucoryphus'' **Genus ''

'' ***Lesser fish eagle, ''Icthyophaga humilis'' ***Grey-headed fish eagle, ''I. ichthyaetus'' ***

, ''I. vocifer'' ***White-bellied sea eagle, ''I. leucogaster'' ***Sanford's sea eagle, ''I. sanfordi'' ***Madagascar fish eagle, ''I. vociferoides'' CircaetusGallicus

*Subfamily

: snake-eagles **Genus ''Terathopius'' ***Bateleur, ''Terathopius ecaudatus'' **Genus ''

'' ***Short-toed snake eagle, ''Circaetus gallicus'' ***Beaudouin's snake eagle, ''Circaetus beaudouini'' ***Black-chested snake eagle, ''C. pectoralis'' ***Brown snake eagle, ''C. cinereus'' ***Fasciated snake eagle, ''C. fasciolatus'' ***Western banded snake eagle, ''C. cinerascens'' **Genus ''Dryotriorchis'' ***Congo serpent eagle, ''D. spectabilis'' **Genus ''

'' ***Crested serpent eagle, ''Spilornis cheela'' ****Central Nicobar serpent eagle, ''S. minimus'' (subspecies or species) ***

, ''S. klossi'' ***Mountain serpent eagle, ''S. kinabaluensis'' ***Sulawesi serpent eagle, ''S. rufipectus'' ***Spilornis holospilus, Philippine serpent eagle, ''S. holospilus'' ***Andaman serpent eagle, ''S. elgini'' **Genus ''Eutriorchis'' ***Madagascar serpent eagle, ''Eutriorchis astur''

In culture

Etymology

The modern English term for the bird is derived from by way of . The origin of is unknown, but it is believed to possibly derive from (meaning dark-colored, swarthy, or blackish) as a reference to the plumage of eagles. Old English used the term , related to Scandinavia's ''wikt:ørn, ørn/wikt:örn, örn''. It is similar to other Indo-European languages, Indo-European terms for "bird" or "eagle", including (), (), and . In the southern part of Finland, near the Gulf of Finland, is the town of Kotka, which literally means "eagle", while the town of L'Aquila in the central part of Italy literally means "the eagle". In Britain before 1678, ''eagle'' referred specifically to the

, with the other native species, the white-tailed eagle, being known as wikt:erne#English, ''erne''. The modern name "golden eagle" for ''aquila chrysaetos'' was introduced by the naturalist John Ray. The village of Eagle, Lincolnshire, Eagle in Lincolnshire, England, has nothing to do with the bird; its name is derived from the Old English words for "oak" and "wood" (compare ''Oakley'').

Religion and spirituality

In the ancient Sumerian religion, Sumerian mythology, the mythical king Etana was said to have been carried into heaven by an eagle. Classical writers such as Lucan and Pliny the Elder claimed that the eagle was able to look directly at the sun, and that they forced their fledglings to do the same. Those that blinked would be cast from the nest. This belief persisted until the Medieval era. The eagle is the patron animal of the Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek god Zeus. In particular, Zeus was said to have taken the form of an eagle in order to abduct Ganymede (mythology), Ganymede, and there are numerous artistic depictions of the eagle Zeus bearing Ganymede aloft, from Classical times up to the present (see illustrations in the Ganymede (mythology) page.) Eagles appear metaphorically in many translations of the Old Testament. God is spoken of as carrying Israel on "eagles' wings" in Book of Exodus, Exodus 19:4, Book of Isaiah, Isaiah 40:31 compares those who wait on the Lord to flying eagles, and Psalm 103 mentions renewing one's youth "as the eagle". In explaining this rejuvenation, Augustine of Hippo says in his commentary on the Psalms that eagles' beaks overgrow as they age and that they break them against rocks to restore them. The translation, however, is uncertain: the word in the Hebrew, wiktionary:נשר, נשר, can also be translated

, and is listed alongside specific kinds of vulture in Book of Leviticus, Leviticus' discussion of Kosher animals, unclean animals. The eagle is also often used in Christianity, Christian iconography to represent the Gospel of John,Fonck, L. (1910)
St. John the Evangelist
In ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' (New York: Robert Appleton Company). Retrieved 14 August 2017 from New Advent. and Eagle lectern, eagle-shaped lecterns are common in Anglicanism, Anglican and some Catholic Church, Roman Catholic churches. The eagle was believed to be able to look directly into the sun in the same way that the Gospel of John looks directly at Jesus' divinity, and the great distances the eagle flies represent the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth. The United States eagle feather law stipulates that only individuals of certifiable Native Americans in the United States, Native American ancestry enrolled in a federally recognized tribe are legally authorized to obtain eagle feathers for religion, religious or Spirituality, spiritual reasons. In Canada, the poaching of eagle feathers for the booming U.S. market has sometimes resulted in the arrests of First Nations person for the crime. The Moche (culture), Moche people of ancient Peru worshiped the eagle and often depicted eagles in their art. The golden eagle was sacred to the Aztec mythology, Aztec god Huitzilopochtli while the harpy eagle was sacred to Quetzalcoatl.

Heraldry

Eagles are an exceptionally common symbol in heraldry, being considered the "King of Birds" in contrast to the lion, the "King of Beasts". Whereas the lion (e.g. England) usually represents authority, the eagle is the symbol of power. They are particularly popular in Germanic countries such as Austria, due to their association with the Holy Roman Empire. The eagle of the Holy Roman Empire was two-headed, supposedly representing the two divisions, Eastern Roman Empire, East and Western Roman Empire, West, of the old Roman Empire. This motif, derived from the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire was also adopted by the Russian Empire and is still featured in the Flag of Albania. The Roman eagle was preceded by the eagle of Ptolemaic Kingdom, Ptolemaic Egypt and the Achaemenid Empire. In the coat of arms of Kotka, Finland, the eagle is depicted carrying an anchor and the caduceus on its feet. Heraldic eagles are most often found ''displayed'', i.e. with their wings and legs extended. They can also occur ''close'', i.e. with their wings folded, or ''rising'', i.e. about to take flight. The heads, wings, and legs of eagles can also be found independently. Eagles symbolize strength, courage, and independence and are commonly found in the heraldry of many nations across the world. Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Dagestan, Egypt, Germany, Ghana, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Montenegro, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Palestine, Panama, Russia, Romania, Serbia, South Sudan, Somaliland, the United States of America, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are the nations whose coats of arms feature an eagle. The eagle's continuing significance and worldwide appeal as a forceful symbol in national identity and imagery is demonstrated by its widespread usage.

Notes

References

External links

PBS Nature: Eagles

Eagle photos
on Oriental Bird Images
Eagle videos
on the Internet Bird Collection
Web of the Conservation Biology Team-Bonelli's Eagle, of the University of Barcelona

Decorah Eagles: 24/7 Live Webcam from The Raptor Resource Project

* {{Authority control Eagles, Accipitridae Apex predators Bird common names National symbols of Armenia National symbols of Austria National symbols of the Czech Republic National symbols of Germany National symbols of Ghana National symbols of Liechtenstein National symbols of Mexico National symbols of Nigeria National symbols of Poland National symbols of Romania National symbols of Serbia National symbols of Spain National symbols of Syria National symbols of Yemen