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EAGLE SPECIES
Fish / Sea Eagles | Booted /
True Eagles | Snake / Serpent Eagles | Giant Forest Eagles
| More |
There are 59 eagle species
in the world and they can be found on every continent with the exception of
Antartica. Eagles are a member of the Accipitridae family, which includes
hawks, kites, and old-world vultures. They can be divided into four major groups
by physical characteristics and behavior: fish/sea, booted/true, snake/serpent,
and giant forest. The Bald Eagle and the Golden Eagle are American eagles.
FISH/SEA EAGLES
- Bald Eagles
lives strictly in North America and every state except for Hawaii, near
large bodies of water where the fish are plentiful and tall trees for
nesting and roosting. There are two subspecies of bald eagle. The southern
one is found in the gulf states from Texas and Baja California to South
Carolina and Florida. The northern one is found north of the 40 degrees
north latitude across the entire continent, with the largest proportion
found in the Northwest, especially in Alaska. It is considerably larger on
average to accommodate cold winters. The distinction has been phased out in
recent literature because studies show that both birds migrate to their
opposite parts and have no difficulty in interbreeding where ranges overlap.
More closely related to kites, than golden eagles.
- African Fish
Eagles
lives in Africa and found near water containing fish, especially common in
and around the Rift Valley lakes of Kenya. Distinctive call. Besides fish,
it preys on water birds like flamingos and eats carrion (dead animals). A
kleptoparasite, it also steals prey from other birds, like Goliath Herons.
- White-Bellied Fish Eagle lives
primarily on the coast, wooded rocky shores and mangroves, like the coastal
areas of India through China to the Philippines and Australia. Largest
raptor in Singapore with wingspan of 50 cm and body length of 70 cm. While
in flight, holds wings in V-shape, unlike other raptors who hold them
horizontally. They forage in pairs and hunt near water surface for sea
snakes and fish; however, they also eat birds, turtles, swimming crabs and
bats. Unlike osprey who plunge into the water, they skim the water surface
then snag prey into their talons with a backward slash. Not territorial
towards others of their kind; however, they will make loud harsh cries near
perches or nests. Call is goose-like honking with loud clanging, yelping,
barking, and a series of loud screaming. Sedentary, they do not migrate.
BOOTED/TRUE
EAGLES
Breeding bird of Southern
Europe from Spain and Portugal eastwards, North Africa and South Asia to Kentei.
Diet consists of birds up to the size of a Partridge, small mammals, and small
reptiles like lizards. Call sounds like a high-pitched double whistle. This
small eagle, about the size of a buzzard, resemble Egyptian vultures in their
pale phase and Wahlbergs eagles in their dark phase, despite being more
variegated brown and more stocky. A woodland bird, it lives in deciduous and
coniferous areas in mountainous country. Flies swiftly with artful diving and
weaving between trees. If it migrates, booted eagles follow well-known routes
and do not cross extensive water masses because it requires long periods of
sustained flapping, which they are not equipped for. Their breeding displays are
spectacular in-air dives and swoops with a lot of calling.
-
Golden Eagles
resides in the open terrain of deserts, mountains, plateaus, and steppes,
particularly in mountainous areas of the United States and throughout the
Western Hemisphere, Europe, and Asia. Not usually found in heavy forests.
Feeds on small mammals and reptiles, like medium-sized rodents, rabbits,
hares, birds (especially game birds), reptiles, and carrion. Some eat
tortoises by flying with them in their talons and dropping on a rock outcrop
to break the shell open. Its body length ranges from 30 to 40, with a
wingspan fo 6 ½ to 7 ½ feet. They are named for the golden colored feathers
on the back of their heads and are more closely related to hawks than bald
eagles.
SNAKE/SERPENT EAGLES
- Bateleur Eagles
it spends a lot of time soaring and may cover 100 miles or more a day
searching for food like carrion, antelope, mice, birds, and reptiles. It
resides in the tree and brush savanna throughout Africa, south of the
Sahara.
-
Brown
Snake Eagles
large and brown with large, yellow eyes and a face like an owl, white
featherless legs. Its call sounds like a guttural hok-hok-hok-hok. Most
commonly found in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, northern Namibia and the
eastern and coastal parts of South Africa, it resides in woodlands,
savannas, drier bushveld, mopane scrubs, and coastal grasslands. A solitary
bird, brown snake eagles perch for extended times on trees and telephone
poles. It rarely hovers or hunts in flight, but instead kills and swallows
prey on the ground, in particular, snakes up to 3 m long like cobras,
adders, and mambas.
GIANT FOREST EAGLES
- Harpy Eagles
the largest eagle in the world, it resides in the rainforests of Central
and South America. It feeds on birds and various mammals, like sloths and
monkeys and nests in the crotch of emergent forest trees. It is a threatened
species because of the destruction of the rainforests.
- Philippine Eagles
a national symbol in the Philippines like the bald eagle in the United
States. Critically endangered because of destruction of its forest habitat
through human activity and logging.