Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagles are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just 14 species can be found—2 in North America, 9 in Central and South America, and 3 in Australia. 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)

vertebrates Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () ( chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, ...

Description

Eagles are large, powerfully-built birds of prey, 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 ...

(''Aquila pennata''), 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. A member of the genus ''Buteo'', it is a member of the family Accipitridae. The species lives in most of Europe and extends its breeding range across ...

(''Buteo buteo'') or red-tailed hawk (''B. jamaicensis''), have relatively longer and more evenly broad wings, and more direct, faster flight – despite the reduced size of 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 North and ...

s. The smallest species of eagle is the South Nicobar serpent eagle (''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 eating, preening, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food ...

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 tarsus ...

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

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 ...

, whose eyes are more than two times larger than the human eye, has a

visual acuity Visual acuity (VA) commonly refers to the clarity of vision, but technically rates an examinee's ability to recognize small details with precision. Visual acuity is dependent on optical and neural factors, i.e. (1) the sharpness of the retinal ...

up to 8 times that of humans. 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 defined as the interference or bending of waves around the corners of an obstacle or through an aperture into the region of geometrical shadow of the obstacle/aperture. The diffracting object or aperture effectively becomes a s ...

(scattering) of the incoming 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 winds 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 predators in the avian world. The type of prey varies by genus. The '' Haliaeetus'' and '' Ichthyophaga'' eagles prefer to capture fish, though the species in the former often capture various animals, especially other water birds, and are powerful kleptoparasites of other birds. The snake and serpent eagles of the genera '' Circaetus'', '' Terathopius'', and ''

Spilornis ''Spilornis'' is a genus of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. As adults all have dark crowns, and bright yellow eyes and cere.Ferguson-Lees & Christie (2001). ''Raptors of the World.'' Christopher Helm, London. These medium-sized raptors ...

'' predominantly prey on the great diversity of

snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...

s found in the tropics of Africa and Asia. The eagles of the genus '' Aquila'' are often the top birds of prey in open habitats, taking almost any medium-sized

vertebrate Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () ( chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, ...

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 (Accipitridae). It lives in open regions of South America. This species is also known as the black buzzard-eagle, the gray buzzard-eag ...

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 representative ...

'', 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

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 as ...

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 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 Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...

and crowned eagles have killed

ungulate Ungulates ( ) are members of the diverse clade Ungulata which primarily consists of large mammals with hooves. These include odd-toed ungulates such as horses, rhinoceroses, and tapirs; and even-toed ungulates such as cattle, pigs, giraffes, cam ...

s weighing up to and a

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 Cephalophina ...

, 7–8 times heavier than the preying eagle. Authors on birds David Allen Sibley, Pete Dunne, 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 condors 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 clos ...

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 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 or Papuan harpy eagle. It is the ...

, 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. The other nine species are endemic to Central and South America. The birds have a highly concentrated population in the Africa and eastern hemisphere. Several islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans are also rich and have distinct species of eagles.

Distribution

Australasian Australasian is the adjectival form of Australasia, a geographical region including Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continen ...

** Australia:

wedge-tailed eagle The wedge-tailed eagle (''Aquila audax'') 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. Adults of this species have lon ...

(range extends into southern New Guinea), white-bellied sea-eagle (range extends into Asia), little eagle. ** New Guinea: Papuan eagle, white-bellied sea-eagle, pygmy eagle. *

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 t ...

(USA and Canada):

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 p ...

(also found in Palearctic),

. * Neotropical (Central and South America): ''

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

, crested eagle,

. *

Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...

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 p ...

White-tailed eagle The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla'') is a very large species of sea eagle widely distributed across temperate Palearctic, Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which includes other diur ...

. *

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

: African fish eagle,

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,

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 Indian black eagle (''Ictinaetus malayensis''), which lives far to t ...

, Tawny eagle,

Long-crested eagle The long-crested eagle (''Lophaetus occipitalis'') is an African bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae. It is currently placed in a monotypic genus ''Lophaetus''. It is characterized by the feathers making up the shaggy ...

Groups

Eagles are often informally divided into four groups. from The snake eagles are placed in the subfamily Circaetinae. The fish eagles, booted eagles, and harpy eagles have traditionally been placed in the subfamily Buteoninae 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 Accipitridae.

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: '' Haliaeetus'', '' Ichthyophaga''. 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 o ...

) 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 and the only member of the genus ''Neophron''. It is widely distributed from the Iberian Peninsula and ...

, bearded vulture (lammergeier), and

Madagascar serpent eagle The Madagascar serpent eagle (''Eutriorchis astur'') is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is placed in the monotypic genus ''Eutriorchis''. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist l ...

). The fish eagles have a close genetic relationship with '' Haliastur'' and ''

Milvus ''Milvus'' is a genus of medium-sized birds of prey. The genus was erected by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1799 with the red kite as the type species. The name is the Latin word for the red kite. Species This is an Old ...

''; the whole group is only distantly related to the ''Buteo'' group.

Booted eagles

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 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 Circaetinae. Genera: ''Circaetus'', ''Spilornis'', ''Dryotriorchis'', ''Terathopius''. * ''Eutriorchis'' (subfamily Gypaetinae or Circaetinae). Despite filling the niche of a snake eagle, genetic studies suggest that the

(''Eutriorchis'') is not related to them.

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'', crested eagle ― Central and South America. ** ''Harpyopsis novaeguineae'', Papuan eagle ― New Guinea. * Philippine eagle ** ''Pithecophaga jefferyi'', Philippine eagle ― Philippines. * Solitary eagles ** Chaco eagle or crowned solitary eagle, '' Buteogallus'' (formerly ''

Harpyhaliaetus ''Harpyhaliaetus'' is a former genus of eagles. Recent studies have shown that the solitary eagle The solitary eagle or montane solitary eagle (''Buteogallus solitarius'') is a large Neotropical eagle. It is also known as the black solitary e ...

'') ''coronatus'' ― South America. **

Solitary eagle The solitary eagle or montane solitary eagle (''Buteogallus solitarius'') is a large Neotropical eagle. It is also known as the black solitary eagle. Range and habitat The solitary eagle is native to Mexico and Central and South America. It i ...

or montane solitary eagle, '' Buteogallus'' (formerly ''

'') ''solitarius'' ― South America.

Species

Major new research into eagle

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

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 The Bonelli's eagle (''Aquila fasciata'') is a large bird of prey. The common name of the bird commemorates the Italian ornithologist and collector Franco Andrea Bonelli. Bonelli is credited with gathering the type specimen, most likely from an ...

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 The long-crested eagle (''Lophaetus occipitalis'') is an African bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae. It is currently placed in a monotypic genus ''Lophaetus''. It is characterized by the feathers making up the shaggy ...

in ''Lophaetus'', or, perhaps better, all three of these species should move to ''Ictinaetus'' with the

black eagle The black eagle (''Ictinaetus malaiensis'') is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus ''Ictinaetus''. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South ...

. *The steppe eagle and tawny eagle, once thought to be conspecific, are not even each other's nearest relatives. Family Accipitridae *Subfamily Buteoninae – hawks (buzzards), true eagles and seaeagles **Genus ''Geranoaetus'' ***

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

, ''Geranoaetus melanoleucus'' **Genus ''

'' *** Chaco eagle, ''Harpyhaliaetus coronatus'' ***

, ''H. solitarius'' **Genus ''Morphnus'' *** Crested eagle, ''Morphnus guianensis'' **Genus ''Harpia'' ***

Harpy eagle The harpy eagle (''Harpia harpyja'') is a 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 or Papuan harpy eagle. It is the ...

, ''Harpia harpyja'' **Genus ''Pithecophaga'' *** Philippine eagle, ''Pithecophaga jefferyi'' **Genus ''Harpyopsis'' *** Papuan eagle, ''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 The black-and-chestnut eagle (''Spizaetus isidori'') is a South American species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is sometimes called Isidor's eagle. It is often placed in the monotypic genus ''Oroaetus''. However, recent genetic t ...

, ''S. isidori'' – formerly ''Oroaetus'' **Genus '' Nisaetus'' – previously included in ''Spizaetus'' ***

Changeable hawk-eagle The changeable hawk-eagle ''(Nisaetus cirrhatus)'' or crested hawk-eagle is a large bird of prey species of the family Accipitridae. More informal or antiquated English common names include the marsh hawk-eagle or Indian crested hawk-eagle.Ferguso ...

, ''N. cirrhatus'' ****

Flores hawk-eagle The Flores hawk-eagle (''Nisaetus floris'') is a large raptor in the family Accipitridae. It is an endemic species to the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia.Verhoeye, J. & Holmes. D. A. (1998). ''The birds of the islands of Flores -- a review''. ...

''N. floris'' – earlier a subspecies, ''S. c. floris'' ***

Sulawesi hawk-eagle The Sulawesi hawk-eagle (''Nisaetus lanceolatus'') (earlier placed under ''Spizaetus''), also known as Celebes hawk-eagle, is a medium-sized, approximately long, crestless brown raptor in the family Accipitridae. The adults have rufous-brown, bo ...

, ''N. lanceolatus'' *** Mountain hawk-eagle, ''N. nipalensis'' ****

Legge's hawk-eagle William Vincent Legge, Legge's hawk-eagle (''Nisaetus kelaarti'') is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae. It breeds in the Indian subcontinent, from southern India to Sri Lanka. Its specific name (zoology), specific ...

, ''Nisaetus kelaarti'' – previously a race of ''S. nipalensis'' ***

Blyth's hawk-eagle Blyth's hawk-eagle (''Nisaetus alboniger'') (earlier treated as ''Spizaetus'') is a medium-sized bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae. It can be found in the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, Sumatra and Borneo. It is a bird ...

, ''N. alboniger'' ***

Javan hawk-eagle The Javan hawk-eagle (''Nisaetus bartelsi'') is a medium-sized, dark brown raptor in the family Accipitridae. It is the national bird of Indonesia, where it is commonly referred to as Garuda, from the bird-like creatures in Hindu and Buddhist myt ...

, ''N. bartelsi'' ***(Northern) Philippine hawk-eagle, ''N. philippensis'' ****

Pinsker's hawk-eagle Pinsker's hawk-eagle (''Nisaetus pinskeri''), south Philippine hawk-eagle or Mindanao hawk-eagle, is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is endemic to the Philippines native to the islands of Leyte, Samar, Negros, Basilan, Bo ...

(Southern Philippine hawk-eagle), ''Nisaetus pinskeri'' – earlier ''S. philippensis pinskeri'' ***

Wallace's hawk-eagle Wallace's hawk-eagle (''Nisaetus nanus'') is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is found in Kra Isthmus, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is thre ...

, ''N. nanus'' **Genus ''Lophaetus'' ***

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

Malagasy crowned eagle The Malagasy crowned eagle (''Stephanoaetus mahery''), also known as the Madagascar crowned hawk-eagle, is an extinct large bird of prey endemic to Madagascar. It has been proposed that this bird, combined with elephant bird eggs, were the sourc ...

, ''Stephanoaetus mahery'' **Genus ''Polemaetus'' ***

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 ...

, ''Polemaetus bellicosus'' **Genus '' Hieraaetus'' ***

Ayres's hawk-eagle Ayres's hawk-eagle (''Hieraaetus ayresii''), also referred to as Ayres' eagle,Newman, K (1998) Newman's Birds of Southern Africa. Halfway House: Southern Book Publishers. . is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is native t ...

, ''H. ayresii'' *** Little eagle, ''H. morphnoides'' *** Pygmy eagle, ''H. weiskei'' – previously subspecies ''H. m. weiskei'' ***

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 ...

, ''H. pennatus'' *** Haast's eagle, †H. moorei **Genus ''Lophotriorchis'' ***

Rufous-bellied eagle The rufous-bellied eagle or rufous-bellied hawk-eagle (''Lophotriorchis kienerii'') is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae that is found in the forested regions of tropical Asia. Relatively small for eagles and contrastingly patterned like ...

, ''L. kienerii'' Eagle Lahore Zoo June302005

**Genus '' Aquila'' ***

, ''Aquila fasciata'' – formerly ''Hieraaetus fasciatus'' *** African hawk-eagle, ''A. spilogaster'' – formerly in ''Hieraaetus'' ***

Cassin's hawk-eagle Cassin's hawk-eagle (''Aquila africana'') or Cassin's eagle, is a relatively small eagle in the family Accipitridae. Its feathered legs mark it as member of the Aquilinae or booted eagle subfamily. A forest-dependent species, it occurs in primary ...

, ''A. africana'' – formerly in ''Hieraaetus'' or ''Spizaetus'' genera ***

, ''A. chrysaetos'' *** Eastern imperial eagle, ''A. heliaca'' *** Spanish imperial eagle ''A. adalberti'' *** Steppe eagle, ''A. nipalensis'' *** Tawny eagle, ''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 The Indian spotted eagle (''Clanga hastata'') is a large bird of prey native to South Asia. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. The typical eagles are often united with the buteos, sea eagles and other more heavyset Ac ...

, ''A. hastata'' – to be moved to ''Lophaetus'' or ''Ictinaetus'' ***

, ''A. verreauxii'' ***

Gurney's eagle Gurney's eagle (''Aquila gurneyi'') is a large eagle in the family Accipitridae. It is found in New Guinea and Wallacea, and is an occasional vagrant to Australia. The common name and Latin binomial commemorate the British banker and amateur or ...

, ''A. gurneyi'' *** Wahlberg's eagle, ''A. wahlbergi'' – to be moved to ''Hieraaetus'' ***

Wedge-tailed eagle The wedge-tailed eagle (''Aquila audax'') 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. Adults of this species have lon ...

, ''A. audax'' **Genus ''Ictinaetus'' ***

Black eagle The black eagle (''Ictinaetus malaiensis'') is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus ''Ictinaetus''. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South ...

, ''Ictinaetus malayensis'' **Genus '' Haliaeetus'' ***

, ''Haliaeetus albicilla'' ***

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 as ...

, ''H. leucocephalus'' *** Steller's sea eagle, ''H. pelagicus'' *** African fish eagle, ''H. vocifer'' *** White-bellied sea eagle, ''H. leucogaster'' ***

Sanford's sea eagle Sanford's sea eagle (''Haliaeetus sanfordi''), also known as Sanford's fish eagle or the Solomon eagle, is a sea eagle endemic to the Solomon Islands archipelago. Taxonomy Sanford's sea eagle was discovered by and named after Dr Leonard C. Sanf ...

, ''H. sanfordi'' ***

Madagascar fish eagle The Madagascar fish eagle (''Haliaeetus vociferoides'') or Madagascar sea-eagle (to distinguish it from the ''Ichthyophaga'' fishing-eagles), is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such a ...

, ''H. vociferoides'' *** Pallas' sea eagle, ''H. leucoryphus'' **Genus '' Ichthyophaga'' ***

Lesser fish eagle The lesser fish eagle (''Haliaeetus humilis'') is a species of ''Haliaeetus'' found in the Indian subcontinent, primarily in the foothills of the Himalayas, and south-east Asia. There are records from Gujarat, Central India and in more recent t ...

, ''Ichthyophaga humilis'' *** Grey-headed fish eagle, ''I. ichthyaetus'' CircaetusGallicus

*Subfamily Circaetinae: snake-eagles **Genus ''Terathopius'' *** Bateleur, ''Terathopius ecaudatus'' **Genus '' Circaetus'' *** Short-toed snake eagle, ''Circaetus gallicus'' *** Beaudouin's snake eagle, ''Circaetus beaudouini'' ***

Black-chested snake eagle The black-chested snake eagle or black-breasted snake eagle (''Circaetus pectoralis'') is a large African bird of prey of the family Accipitridae. It resembles other snake eagles and was formerly considered conspecific with the short-toed and B ...

, ''C. pectoralis'' ***

Brown snake eagle The brown snake eagle (''Circaetus cinereus'') is a fairly large species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is found in West, East and southern Africa. This species is an almost obligate predator of a variety of snakes. A very solitar ...

, ''C. cinereus'' ***

Fasciated snake eagle The southern banded snake eagle, also known as the East African snake eagle or fasciated snake eagle (''Circaetus fasciolatus'') is a species of snake eagle in the family Accipitridae which is found in eastern Sub-Saharan Africa. Description The ...

, ''C. fasciolatus'' ***

Western banded snake eagle The western banded snake eagle (''Circaetus cinerascens'') is a grey-brown African raptor with a short tail and a large head. Juveniles have paler and browner upper parts than adults, with white-edged feathers. The eagle's head, neck and breast a ...

, ''C. cinerascens'' **Genus ''

Dryotriorchis The Congo serpent eagle (''Dryotriorchis spectabilis'') is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Dryotriorchis'', although it was formerly placed in ''Circaetus''. This species is di ...

'' ***

Congo serpent eagle The Congo serpent eagle (''Dryotriorchis spectabilis'') is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Dryotriorchis'', although it was formerly placed in ''Circaetus''. This species is di ...

, ''D. spectabilis'' **Genus ''

'' *** Crested serpent eagle, ''Spilornis cheela'' ****

Central Nicobar serpent eagle The crested serpent eagle (''Spilornis cheela'') is a medium-sized bird of prey that is found in forested habitats across tropical Asia. Within its widespread range across the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and East Asia, there are considera ...

, ''S. minimus'' (subspecies or species) *** Great Nicobar serpent eagle, ''S. klossi'' *** Mountain serpent eagle, ''S. kinabaluensis'' *** Sulawesi serpent eagle, ''S. rufipectus'' ***

Philippine serpent eagle The Philippine serpent eagle (''Spilornis holospilus'') is an eagle found in the major islands of the Philippines. It is sometimes treated as a race of the crested serpent eagle (''Spilornis cheela''). This species is usually found in forest clea ...

, ''S. holospilus'' *** Andaman serpent eagle, ''S. elgini'' **Genus ''Eutriorchis'' ***

, ''Eutriorchis astur''

In culture

Etymology

The modern English term for the bird is derived from la, aquila by way of french:

aigle , neighboring_municipalities= Vaud: Yvorne, Leysin, Ormont-Dessous, Ollon; Valais: Vouvry, Collombey-Muraz , twintowns = L'Aigle (France), Tübingen (Germany), Bassersdorf (Switzerland) } Aigle (French language, French for "eagle", ; frp, ...

. 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 Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

used the term , related to Scandinavia's '' ørn/ örn''. It is similar to other

Indo-European The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Dutch ...

terms for "bird" or "eagle", including el, ὄρνις (), russian: орёл (), and cy, eryr. In the southern part of

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

, near the

Gulf of Finland The Gulf of Finland ( fi, Suomenlahti; et, Soome laht; rus, Фи́нский зали́в, r=Finskiy zaliv, p=ˈfʲinskʲɪj zɐˈlʲif; sv, Finska viken) is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and E ...

, is the town of Kotka, which literally means "eagle", while the town of

L'Aquila L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valle ...

in the central part of

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

literally means "the eagle". Fountain top

In Britain before 1678, ''eagle'' referred specifically to the

, with the other native species, the

white-tailed eagle The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla'') is a very large species of sea eagle widely distributed across temperate Palearctic, Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which includes other diur ...

, being known as ''erne''. The modern name "golden eagle" for ''aquila chrysaetos'' was introduced by the naturalist

John Ray John Ray FRS (29 November 1627 – 17 January 1705) was a Christian English naturalist widely regarded as one of the earliest of the English parson-naturalists. Until 1670, he wrote his name as John Wray. From then on, he used 'Ray', after ...

. The village of

Eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, 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 ancient

Sumerian mythology Sumerian religion was the religion practiced by the people of Sumer, the first literate civilization of ancient Mesopotamia. The Sumerians regarded their divinities as responsible for all matters pertaining to the natural and social orders. Ov ...

, the mythical king Etana was said to have been carried into

heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

by an eagle. Classical writers such as

Lucan Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (3 November 39 AD – 30 April 65 AD), better known in English as Lucan (), was a Roman poet, born in Corduba (modern-day Córdoba), in Hispania Baetica. He is regarded as one of the outstanding figures of the Imperial ...

and

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic '' ...

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 god

Zeus Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label=Genitive case, genitive Aeolic Greek, Boeotian Aeolic and Doric Greek#Laconian, Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label=Genitive case, genitive el, Δίας, ''D� ...

. In particular, Zeus was said to have taken the form of an eagle in order to abduct 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.)

Psalm 103 Psalm 103 is the 103rd psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Bless the , O my soul". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In Latin ...

(in Greek, Latin, and English) mentions renewing one's youth "as the eagle" (although the Hebrew word נשר apparently means

Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...

gives a curious explanation of this in his commentary on the Psalms. An eagle is a common form in the

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

tradition, often used to support the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

because of the symbolism of spreading the

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

over the world. Additional symbolic meanings for "eagle" include the pronouncements to the

Israelites The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan. The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stele o ...

Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Ex ...

19:4;

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

103:5 and

Isaiah Isaiah ( or ; he, , ''Yəšaʿyāhū'', "God is Salvation"), also known as Isaias, was the 8th-century BC Israelite prophet after whom the Book of Isaiah is named. Within the text of the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah himself is referred to as "the ...

40:31. The United States

eagle feather law In the United States, the eagle feather law provides many exceptions to federal wildlife laws regarding eagles and other migratory birds to enable Native Americans to continue their traditional, spiritual and cultural practices. Under the cu ...

stipulates that only individuals of certifiable Native American ancestry enrolled in a federally recognized tribe are legally authorized to obtain eagle feathers for religious or 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 people of ancient

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

worshiped the eagle and often depicted eagles in their art. While every Native American tribe has their own set of customs and beliefs, one thing virtually every tribe has in common is a reverence for eagles. Native Americans view them as powerful medicine animals that represent bravery, honor, and insight. In addition, because eagles have the ability to fly, many tribes view them as having a connection to the Creator and possessing the ability to communicate with both the physical and supernatural worlds. In fact, the mythical Native American bird, the thunderbird, is based on the eagle and yet is considered to have even greater powers. For Native Americans, eagle feathers are also sacred. Eagles and their feathers are protected under

federal law Federal law is the body of law created by the federal government of a country. A federal government is formed when a group of political units, such as states or provinces join in a federation, delegating their individual sovereignty and many po ...

. However, Native Americans with certified ancestry are permitted to obtain and use eagle feathers in spiritual ceremonies. Traditionally, when a warrior displayed bravery in a battle, he was given an eagle feather. Hence, the iconic headdresses worn by the

plains tribes Plains Indians or Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies are the Native American tribes and First Nation band governments who have historically lived on the Interior Plains (the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies) of N ...

that contained many eagle feathers represented a brave and powerful warrior. In addition, Native Americans believe that if a person finds an eagle feather on the ground, it is a gift from the Sky and the Earth.

Heraldry

Eagles are an exceptionally common symbol in heraldry, being considered the "King of Birds" in contrast to the

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

, 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 Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

. The eagle of the Holy Roman Empire was two-headed, supposedly representing the two divisions, East and

West West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...

, of the old Roman Empire. This motif, derived from the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire was also adopted by the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

and is still featured in the Flag of Albania. The Roman eagle was preceded by the eagle of Ptolemaic Egypt and the

Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Based in Western Asia, it was contemporarily the largest em ...

. In the coat of arms of Kotka, Finland, the eagle is depicted carrying an

anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ἄγ ...

and the

caduceus The caduceus (☤; ; la, cādūceus, from grc-gre, κηρύκειον "herald's wand, or staff") is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology and consequently by Hermes Trismegistus in Greco-Egyptian mythology. The same staff was also ...

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.

Notes

References

External links