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Eagle-The King of all birds

November 18, 2021 6 Mins Read
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Nicknamed the “king of all birds,” eagles are large and powerful birds of prey that appear to soar majestically in the air, searching for their next meal.

Although not the most agile flyer, its remarkable speed in the air certainly belies its enormous size relative to other birds. Most species are well-protected by governments, conservation organizations, and international acts around the world, but a few of the more obscure species are in danger of extinction.

Eagle Scientific Name

An eagle is a group of particularly large birds that belong to the family of Accipitridae (this scientific name is derived from the Latin word accipiter, which means hawk). Many different types of birds belong to this family, including vultures, kites, and hawks. 

Eagle Flying in sky
Species of American bald eagle

Common Types of Eagles

Bald Eagle – The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States. These birds have white heads and tails with brown bodies and are found near open bodies of water with old growth trees that they use for nesting.

Harpy Eagle – Harpy eagles are found in tropical rainforests in Mexico, Central America, and South America. These birds have dark grey feathers with white undersides, a black band across their necks, and grey feathers on their heads.

Golden Eagle – Golden eagles can be found in Europe, Asia, North America, and parts of Northern Africa. Adult golden eagles are dark brown with slightly paler wing feathers and golden napes.

Stellar’s Sea Eagle – Stellar’s Sea Eagles live in coastal habitats of northeastern Asia. These birds can be identified by their dark bodies, white shoulders, foreheads, tails, and thighs, and bright yellow bills.

White-Tailed Eagle – White-tailed eagles breed in Northern Europe and northern Asia and generally live near open bodies of water. They have brown body feathers and pale heads and necks with white tail feathers

In general, an eagle is any bird of prey more powerful than a buteo. An eagle may resemble a vulture in build and flight characteristics but has a fully feathered (often crested) head and strong feet equipped with great curved talons. A further difference is in foraging habits: eagles subsist mainly on live prey. They are too ponderous for effective aerial pursuit but try to surprise and overwhelm their prey on the ground. Like owls, many decapitate their kills. Because of their strength, eagles have been a symbol of war and imperial power since Babylonian times. 

Appearance & Description of Eagle.

Eagle has two (2) wings that are bigger & stronger than other birds. It can fly for a long distance by holding its food.  It has two (2) legs which are very strong. They have a strong beak which helps them for better feeding. With the help of its beak, it breaks its prey.  Eagle has two (2) eyes which are very sharp. They can see their prey (food) from a far distance.

Eagle reproduces once a year. It usually lays 3-5 spotted eggs in a year depends upon the supply of food. If the food supply is not enough then hawks may not reproduce many eggs. They have one mate for their whole life. If one dies then the other finds a new mate. In Arab countries, people keep hawks as pet birds for their interest & for adventure. Before the 19th century, when there was no done invention of telecommunication; then people use Eagle as a messenger to communicate or send information from one place/person to another one as pigeons were used. Worldwide Eagle’s image has been known as a sign of bravery and adventure.

 

image of eagle
The appearance of an eagle and its features

Eagle Behavior

These birds have an exceptional vision that ranks among the best in the animal kingdom. Translated into human terms, it would have 20/5 or even 20/4 eyesight. There are a few reasons for this: the enormous size of the pupils, the density of light-detecting cells in the retina, and the shape of the fovea (a small pit in the back of the eye which is responsible for an animal’s sharp central vision). This confers enormous visual advantages. First, an eagle can see four to eight times farther than the average human, allowing it to spot small prey from up to two miles away, even while in flight. Second, it can also see in a wider range of colors, including ultraviolet.

 Finally, it can shift focus quickly to zoom in on prey. But in order to focus on a specific spot, the eagle usually has to turn its entire head in that direction. Fortunately, the eagle also has 14 vertebrae in its neck compared to only seven for humans, enabling it to a greater degree of rotation.

Facts about the Eagle:

  • It is one of the largest and most powerful birds of prey. The smallest eagle birds fly faster than most birds and more directly. They have larger wings compared to other small-sized birds of different species.
  • The eagle bird has outstanding Of all its senses, eyesight is its biggest asset. It can detect prey from almost 2 miles away.
  • The Eagles are birds of prey belonging to the Accipitridae There are approximately 60 different species of the eagle bird. Majority of eagles are in Africa and Eurasia. Only 14 species are in other areas.
  • “Eagle” is not the original name of the bird. Its origin is the Latin word Aquila which had its origin from the French word Aigle.
  • The smallest eagle is The South or Great Nicobar Serpent Eagle. It weighs 450g and has a length of 40 cm. However, don’t let the size fool you because this eagle bird still manages to out-fly other birds of the same size.

6 Incredible Eagle Facts!

  • Eagles probably first evolved from kites some 36 million years ago.
  • The eagle has served as a very common symbol of strength and power in many human cultures. They have adorned the national emblems of Rome/Byzantium, Russia, and many Germanic states. The unusual-looking double-headed eagle is a common historical motif that may stretch back to the time of ancient Mesopotamia.
  • The grip of the bald eagle is actually 10 times stronger than a human.
  • Despite their much smaller bodyweight, the eye of an eagle is about the same size as a human eye.
  • Eagles undergo a process called molting in which they gradually lose their feathers one at a time and grow completely new ones about every year. Some species will lose feathers equally on both sides to maintain proper balance.
  • Eagles can carry up to four times their own body weight, making them one of the strongest birds in the world
potrait of eagle and it's appearance
The picture of an eagle sitting on a branch of a tree.
picture of golden eagle
Golden eagle species sitting on a rock.

Eagle Predators and Threats

Up until the 19th and 20th centuries, these birds have historically faced few threats in the wild. But the combined effect of overhunting, habitat loss, and pesticide use (which seeped into the environment and water) threatened many species with extinction. In places where hunting and pesticide use are tightly regulated, eagle numbers are quickly recovering.

Conclusion

It plays a vital role in Eco-System balancing. As it eats meats, so many dead animals in the forest were cleaned by the group of Eagles. But, in the last decades, its species were in the vanishing stage. It can be seen in European forests and deserts and hardly can be found in Asian countries. So, we have to save them and run some programs which can protect their species.  

Of all birds, the eagle comes out as a unique and bird. It is also essential in religious folklore and many other different cultures for illustrative purposes. That is a noteworthy bird that deserves appreciation.

 

–TEJASRI

Content Writer (Erakina by RTMN)

15.11.2021

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