Eagle Bird– Eagles are large predatory birds by habit that belong to the family Accipitridae and are divided into many species that do not have much in common with each other. These birds are identified by their fully feathered head, broad beak, strong clawed legs and curved claws. Eagles are found in all parts of the world except Antarctica. Since there is no land visible in Antarctica, there is only ice, so eagles are not able to survive in this place.
These predatory birds can fly for several kilometers and search for their food. If we talk about their flying ability, it is more than other birds.
Scientific Classification of Eagle Bird
Swan Bird Life Span, Facts, Types, Classification and Reproduction
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Genus | Harpyopsis |
| SPECIES | Harpyopsis novaeguineae |
Common Types of Eagle Bird Species
About 70 species of eagles are found in different parts of the world. The 70 species of eagles are as follows-
| Malagasy crowned eagle | White-tailed eagle | Madagascar serpent eagle | Long-crested eagle |
| Bald eagle | Sulawesi serpent eagle | Wallace’s hawk-eagle | Black eagle |
| Mountain serpent eagle | Philippine hawk-eagle | Wedge-tailed eagle | Philippine serpent eagle |
| Great Nicobar serpent eagle | Andaman serpent eagle | Central Nicobar serpent eagle | Congo serpent eagle |
| Crested serpent eagle | Fasciated snake eagle | Western banded snake eagle | Brown snake eagle |
| Short-toed snake eagle | Black-chested snake eagle | Bateleur | Lesser fish eagle |
| Grey-headed fish eagle | Madagascar fish eagle | Pallas’ sea eagle | Sanford’s sea eagle |
| Steller’s sea eagle | African fish eagle | Crowned eagle | Martial eagle |
| Little eagle | Ayres’s hawk-eagle | Pygmy eagle | Booted eagle |
| Rufous-bellied eagle | African hawk-eagle | Bonelli’s eagle | Cassin’s hawk-eagle |
| Golden eagle | Spanish imperial eagle | Eastern imperial eagle | Tawny eagle |
| Steppe eagle | Indian spotted eagle | Greater spotted eagle | Lesser spotted eagle |
| Gurney’s eagle | Verreaux’s eagle | Wahlberg’s eagle | Pinsker’s hawk-eagle |
| Blyth’s hawk-eagle | Javan hawk-eagle | Legge’s hawk-eagle | Mountain hawk-eagle |
| Sulawesi hawk-eagle | Flores hawk-eagle | Changeable hawk-eagle | Black-and-chestnut eagle |
| Black-and-white hawk-eagle | Black hawk-eagle | Ornate hawk-eagle | Papuan eagle |
| Philippine eagle | Harpy Eagle | Crested eagle | Solitary eagle |
| Chaco eagle | Black-chested buzzard-eagle |
Distribution of World Areas
Geography
| Continents | Asia, Oceania |
| Sub Continents | Southeast asia |
| Contries | Pupua New Guinea, Indonesia |
| Region | Pupua |
Physical Description and Appearance
- Weight: Generally, the weight of different eagle species varies. For example, the eagle found in South Nicobar Serpent weighs only about 0.99 pounds (450 grams), while the Steller species of sea eagles are much heavier than them. Their maximum weight is around 15 pounds (6.7 kilograms).
- Size:
o1. Blade Eagle-
| Length | 70-102 cm (28-40 inches) |
| Wing Span | 1.8-2.3 meters (5.9-7.5 feet) |
| Weight | 3-6.3 kg (6.6-14 pounds) |
02. Golden Eagle
| Length | 66-102 cm (26-40 inches) |
| Wing Span | 1.8-2.34 meters (5.9-7.7 feet) |
| Weight | 3-6.7 kg (6.6-14.8 pounds) |
03. Harpy Eagle
| Length | 86-107 cm (34-42 inches) |
| Wing Span | 1.76-2.24 meters (5.8-7.4 feet) |
| Weight | 6-10 kg (13-22 pounds) |
04. Steller’s Sea Eagle
| Length | 85-105 cm (33-41 inches) |
| Wing Span | 1.95-2.5 meters (6.4-8.2 feet) |
| Weight | 6.8-9 kg (15-20 pounds) |
05. Martial Eagle
| Length | 78-96 cm (31-38 inches) |
| Wing Span | 2.1-2.6 meters (6.9-8.5 feet) |
| Weight | 3-6.2 kg (6.6-13.7 pounds) |
Diet:
In many cases eagles hunt only living creatures but in some cases these eagles can also be opportunists, when they get a chance they catch the prey and make it their food. The diet list of some species is given below –
01. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
- Primary diet: Their main diet consists of fish, of which salmon and catfish are the favourite, which eagles catch from rivers, lakes and coastal waters.
- Other food items: Apart from the above, their other food includes water birds, small mammals, carrion (dead animals) and sometimes it also hunts other birds.
02. Golden Eagle Bird (Aquila chrysaetos)
- Primary diet: The diet of this species of eagle consists mainly of small to medium sized mammals such as rabbits and squirrels and other small ground animals.
- Other food items: Small birds, reptiles, fish and carrion.
03. Harpy Eagle Bird (Harpia harpyja)
- Primary diet: The main diet of eagles of this species includes mammals found in trees such as sloths and monkeys.
- Other food: As other food, they eat small and big birds, reptiles and small mammals found in tropical rain forests etc.
04. Steller’s Sea Eagle Bird (Haliaeetus pelagicus)
- Primary Diet: Fish is the main food of the Steller’s eagle, but most of the fish are salmon and trout, which the eagles catch from rivers and coastal areas.
- Other foods: Other foods of the Steller’s Eagle include waterfowl and small mammals, and they also like to eat carrion.
05. Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus)
- Primary diet: Medium to small birds such as guinea fowl and chicken form the main diet of this species.
- Other foods: Mammals (including rabbits, mongoose and young antelope), reptiles and occasionally carrion.
Behaviour of Eagle Birds
Eagles are known for their impressive and powerful behaviours, including hunting, nest building, and social interactions. These behaviours can vary depending on the species and the environment around them. Here are some common behaviours:
- Hunting and Feeding: Eagle Bird are very skilled hunter birds. Their eyesight is so sharp that they can spot their prey from a distance. Eagle birds often hunt by flying high.
- Their diet mainly consists of fish, small and medium sized mammals, birds and carrion.
- Nesting:Eagles build large nests on tall trees or rocks, these are called eyries. These birds reuse these nests every year because they make new and much bigger nests by adding new parts to the old ones.
- Parental Care:Both parents take care of the eagles and these birds are very protective of their young. They both take turns in incubating the eggs and both look for food and feed the chicks.
- Migration: Many species of eagle bird are migratory in nature and during their breeding season they travel long distances between their wintering grounds and select a good and suitable place to build a nest and then breed. Among the migratory eagle birds, the Bald Eagle migrates to find out the availability of food sources and for breeding.
- Communications: Eagles use a variety of signal calls to communicate with one another, particularly during breeding times and when protecting their homes and territories.
Life Span of Eagle Birds
The lifespan of eagle species depends on their surrounding environment and whether they are free in the wild or in captivity. Based on these factors, their lifespan can be concluded. Here are some general lifespan ranges for some well-known eagle species:
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
- In the Wild: 20-30 years
- In Captivity: Up to 50 years
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
- In the Wild: 15-30 years
- In Captivity: Up to 50 years
Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja)
- In the Wild: 25-35 years
- In Captivity: Up to 40 years
Steller’s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus)
- In the Wild: 20-25 years
- In Captivity: Up to 40 years
Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus)
- In the Wild: 12-14 years
- In Captivity: Up to 30 years
White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)
- In the Wild: 20-25 years
- In Captivity: Up to 40 years
Reference:- Wikipedia
https://bytica.net/eagle-bird-the-great-predatory/