Eagle

Steppe Eagle Information

2010-01-27T22:06:00.000-08:00

The Steppe Eagle, is a large bird of prey. It is about 62–81 cm (24-32 in) in length and has a wingspan of 165-200 cm (65-79 in). Females, weighing 2.3-4.9 kg (5-10.8 lbs), are slightly larger than males, at 2-3.5 kg (4.4-7.7 lbs). Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. It was once considered to be closely related to the non-migratory Tawny Eagle, Aquila rapax, and the two forms have previously been treated as conspecific. They were split based on pronounced differences in morphology and anatomy (Clark, 1992; Olson, 1994; Sangsteret al., 2002); molecular analysis indicates that these birds are not even each other's closest relatives.

The Steppe Eagle breeds from Romania east through the south Russian and Central Asian steppes to Mongolia. The European and Central Asian birds winter in Africa, and the eastern birds in India. It lays 1-3 eggs in a stick nest in a tree. Throughout its range it favours open dry habitats, such as desert, semi-desert, steppes, or savannah.

This is a large eagle with brown upperparts and blackish flight feathers and tail. This species is larger and darker than the Tawny Eagle, and it has a pale throat which is lacking in that species.

Immature birds are less contrasted than adults, but both show a range of variation in plumage colour. The eastern race A. n. nipalensis is larger and darker than the European and Central Asian A. n. orientalis.

Large numbers are seen at certain places such as Khare in Nepal during migration. As many as 15.3 birds per hour during October and November have been noted.

The Steppe Eagle's diet is largely fresh carrion of all kinds, but it will kill rodents and other small mammals up to the size of a hare, and birds up to the size of partridges. It will also steal food from other raptors.

The call of the Steppe Eagle is a crow-like barking, but it is rather a silent bird except in display.

The Steppe Eagle is the national animal of Egypt. It is also the national bird of Kazakhstan and can be seen on the Flag of Kazakhstan.

Spanish Imperial Eagle Information

2010-01-27T22:04:00.000-08:00

The Spanish Imperial Eagle (also known as Iberian Imperial Eagle or Adalbert's Eagle) is closely related to the Eastern Imperial Eagle. It occurs only in central and south-west Spain, Portugal and possibly northern Morocco. Formerly (Sangster et al., 2002), the Spanish Imperial Eagle was considered to be a subspecies of the Eastern Imperial Eagle, but is now widely recognised as a separate species due to differences in morphology (Cramp & Simmons, 1980), ecology (Meyburg, 1994), and molecular characteristics (Seibold et al., 1996; Padilla et al., 1999).

The Spanish Imperial Eagle is smaller, 2.5–3.5 kg (5.5–7.7 lbs) and 75–84 cm (30–33 in) in length, and darker than its eastern cousin, and is a resident species (A. heliaca migrates to the southeast during winter). It feeds mainly on rabbits, but can prey on many other animals, such as partridges, rodents, hares, pigeons, crows, ducks and even dogs. The species is classified as Vulnerable. Threats include loss of habitat, human encroachment, collisions with pylons, and illegal poisoning. There has also been a decline in the Spanish rabbit population, as a result of myxomatosis and other viral illnesses. The current population is estimated at less than 500.

In 2006 there were around 220 pairs reported in Spain and 2 in Portugal, and though numbers are showing signs of recovery, it is still an endangered species. A small population is preserved in Doñana National Park, Spain (descendants from only seven pairs in 1970: Schuhmacher, 1973) but its stronghold is the dehesa woodlands of central and south-west Spain.

In February 2009 one male of the extremely rare Portugal population was shot.

The binomial commemorates Adalbert of Prussia.

Rufous-bellied Eagle Information

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The Rufous-bellied Eagle is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes the buzzards, hawks and Old World vultures. It was earlier placed under the genus Hieraaetus but this eagle may well belong to a separate genus. The name of Kienastur had been suggested.

Rufous-bellied Eagles breeds in tropical Asia. They are resident in Sri Lanka, southwest and northern India, and east to southeast Asia and Indonesia.

This species is associated with woodland. The large stick nest is built in a tree and a single egg is laid.

Rufous-bellied Eagles are smallish eagles, 54–60 cm long. They have broad rounded wings, held flat while soaring, and a short broad tail. They feed mainly on birds and small mammals.

The adult has blackish upperparts and head. The foreneck and breast are white, and the tail and flight feathers are white barred with dark. The rest of the underparts are chestnut. Sexes are similar.

The immature eagle has white in place of the adult's chestnut plumage, and dark flank patches.

Eastern Imperial Eagle Information

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The Imperial Eagle is very similar to the Golden Eagle, although slightly smaller (length 80 cm, wingspan 200 cm). Like all eagles, A. heliaca belongs to the bird of prey family Accipitridae.

Imperial Eagles are distributed throughout southeastern Europe as well as western and central Asia. The Spanish Imperial Eagle, found in Spain and Portugal, was formerly lumped with this species, the name Imperial Eagle being used in both circumstances; however the two are now regarded as separate species due to significant differences in morphology, ecology, and molecular characteristics.

In the winter the Eastern Imperial Eagle migrates to Africa, India and China. In Europe, the Imperial Eagle is threatened with extinction. It has nearly vanished from much of its former range, e.g., Hungary and Austria. Today the only European area in which the population is rising is the Carpathian basin, mainly the northern mountains of Hungary and the southern region of Slovakia. The nesting population in Hungary is approximately 70–80 pairs.

The monarchy of Austria-Hungary once chose the Imperial Eagle to be its heraldic animal, but this did not help this bird. The eagle's preferred habitat is open country with small woods; unlike many other species of eagle, it does not generally live in mountains, large forests or treeless steppes.

Eastern Imperial Eagles generally prefer to construct a nest in a tree which is not surrounded by other trees, so that the nest is visible from a considerable distance, and so that the occupants may observe the surroundings unobstructed. Tree branches are taken in order to build the nest, which is upholstered with grass and feathers.

In March or April the female lays two to three eggs. The chicks hatch after 45 days; often, however, only one will survive to leave the nest, with the others dying before becoming fully-fledged.

The Eastern Imperial Eagle feeds mainly on susliks, in addition to other rodents, as well as martens, dogs other and birds.

Golden Eagle Information

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The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas. Despite being locally extinct or uncommon, the species is still fairly ubiquitous, being present in Eurasia, North America and parts of Africa. The highest density of nesting golden eagles in the world lies in southern Alameda County, California.

These birds are dark brown, with lighter golden-brown plumage on their heads and necks. It has a wingspan averaging over 2 m (7 ft) and up to 1 m (3 ft) in body length. They are extremely swift, and can dive upon their quarry at speeds of more than 150 miles (241 kilometers) per hour.

Golden eagles use their speed and sharp talons to snatch up rabbits, marmots, and ground squirrels. They also eat carrion, reptiles, birds, fish, and smaller fare such as large insects. They have even been known to attack full-grown deer.

Golden eagle pairs maintain territories that may be as large as 60 square miles (155 square kilometers). They are monogamous and may remain with their mate for several years or possibly for life. Golden eagles nest in high places including cliffs, trees, or human structures such as telephone poles. They build huge nests to which they may return for several breeding years. Females lay from one to four eggs, and both parents incubate them for 40 to 45 days. Typically, one or two young survive to fledge in about three months.

Description

Adult Golden Eagles range considerably in size, though some are among the largest eagles of the genus Aquila. Most subspecies of Golden Eagle vary in the range from 65 to 100 cm (26–40 in) in length, wingspan can range from 150 to 240 cm (60–96 in), and weight is from 2.5 to 7 kg (5.5–15.5 lb). The smallest-bodied subspecies is A. c. japonica while A. c. daphanea is the largest on average. However, wild specimens from Northwestern North America (A. c. canadensis) can exceed normal dimensions, as the largest recorded weighed 9 kg (20 lbs) and had a body length of 102 cm (40.1 in). As with many Accipitriformes, females are considerably larger than males, in the case of the Golden Eagle they weigh one-quarter to one-third more than male birds.

The plumage colours range from black-brown to dark brown, with a striking golden-buff crown and nape, which give the bird its name. The upper wings also have an irregular lighter area. Immature birds resemble adults, but have a duller more mottled appearance. Also they have a white-banded tail and a white patch at the carpal joint, that gradually disappear with every moult until full adult plumage is reached in the fifth year. Contour feathers may be moulted in a short time span.

Taxonomy and systematics

This species was first described by Linnaeus in his 1758 Systema naturae as Falco chrysaetos. The type locality is given simply as "Europa"; it was later fixed to Sweden.

The Golden Eagle is one of the large eagles in the genus Aquila, which are distributed almost worldwide. The latest research indicates it forms a worldwide superspecies with Verreaux's Eagle, Gurney's Eagle and the Wedge-tailed Eagle.

Feeding

Golden eagle predominant prey is leporids (hares and rabbits) and sciurids (ground squirrels, prairie dogs & marmots), the two groups normally comprising 50-94% of the diet of nesting eagles. Additional mammals regularly taken include mice, martens, foxes, young deer and mountain goats. The secondary important prey group for eagles are other birds. Various gallinaceous birds (largely phasianids, ptarmigans and grouse) are the most significant avian prey. However, virtually any bird, from a jay to a swan, is potential prey. During winter months when prey is scarce, Golden Eagles scavenge on carrion to supplement their diet. Sometimes when no carrion is available golden eagles will hunt down large prey, such as goat-antelopes and caribou. There is one confirmed report of a Golden Eagle snatching the cub of a Brown Bear, and several other unverified attacks. Golden eagles are avian apex predators, meaning a healthy adult is not preyed upon. There are records of golden eagles killing and eating large raptors such as Eurasian Eagle Owls, Gyrfalcons, Northern Goshawks and Buteo hawks, whether adults, nestlings or eggs. Falcons, jaegers and Buteos like Rough-legged Hawks, which are normally competitors, have worked together to group-mob Golden Eagles that have passed their adjacent nesting areas. More commonly, Golden Eagles kleptoparasitize, or steal prey, from other raptors. Despite being often smaller in size, they are capable of displacing large vultures, of both unrelated families, from carrion. However, the Bald Eagle and White-tailed Eagle can displace Golden Eagles in competition over food and vice versa. Golden Eagles have very good eyesight and can spot prey from a long distance. The Golden Eagle has a resolving power 8x more powerful than a human. The talons are used for killing and carrying the prey, the beak is used only for eating. They often have a division of labour while hunting, one bird driving the prey towards its waiting partner. On the other hand, the size difference between males and females allows more unpaired birds to live off the land, which is helpful to maintain a sufficiently large population for this large and slowly-maturing bird.

Reproduction

Golden Eagles usually mate for life. They build several eyries within their territory and use them alternately for several years. These nests consist of heavy tree branches, upholstered with grass when in use. Old eyries may be 2 metres (6.6 ft) in diameter and 1 metre (3.3 ft) in height, as the eagles repair their nests whenever necessary and enlarge them during each use. If the eyrie is situated on a tree, supporting tree branches may break because of the weight of the nest. Certain other animals – birds and mammals too small to be of interest to the huge raptor – often use the nest as shelter. Their predators are just the right size for Golden eagle prey, and therefore avoid active eyries.

The female lays one to four (usually two) eggs between January and September (depending on the locality). The eggs vary from all white to white with cinnamon or brown spots and blotches. They start incubation immediately after the first egg is laid, and after 40 to 45 days the young hatch. They are covered in fluffy white down and are fed for fifty days before they are able to make their first flight attempts and eat on their own. In most cases only the older chick survives, while the younger one dies without leaving the eyrie. This is due to the older chick having a few days' advantage in growth and consequently winning most squabbles for food. This strategy is useful for the species because it makes the parents' workload manageable even when food is scarce, while providing a reserve chick in case the first-born dies soon after hatching. Golden eagles invest much time and effort in bringing up their young; once able to hunt on their own, most golden eagles survive many years, but mortality even among first-born nestlings is much higher, in particular in the first weeks after hatching.

Congregation and Migration

As with many raptors, golden eagles congregate once a year. In Eurasia and North America, this congregation usually occurs in the Autumn (while congregations of bald eagles is a late-winter / early-spring phenomenon). The largest known congregation, in number of birds present, of the golden eagle is in the state of Montana in October. The congregation site is the east slope of the Bridger Mountains and adjacent Bridger Canyon. The mountain range is on the edge of the Rocky Mountain chain, where it borders parts of the Great Plains and several island ranges. Golden eagles from all over North America congregate here before migrating for the winter.

Status and conservation

At one time, the Golden Eagle lived in temperate Europe, North Asia, North America, North Africa and Japan. In most areas this bird is now a mountain-dweller, but in former centuries it also bred in the plains and the forests. In recent years it has started to breed in lowland areas again e.g. in Sweden and Denmark.

There was a great decline in Central Europe where they are now essentially restricted to the Apennine, Alps and Carpathian Mountains. In Britain, there were about 420 pairs in 2007, the majority of these in the Scottish highlands, and between 1969 and 2004 they bred in the Lake District, Cumbria. Golden Eagles can still often be seen soaring above mountains in Scotland, and are slowly returning to Northern England.

In Ireland, where it had been extinct due to hunting since 1912, efforts are being made to re-introduce the species. Forty-six birds were released into the wild in Glenveagh National Park, County Donegal, from 2001 to 2006, with at least three known female fatalities since then. It is intended to release a total of sixty birds, to ensure a viable population. In April 2007, a pair of Golden Eagles produced the first chick to be hatched in the Republic of Ireland in nearly a century. The previous attempt to help the birds breed at the Glenveagh National Park had failed.

In North America the situation is not as dramatic, but there has still been a noticeable decline. The main threat is habitat destruction which by the late 19th century already had driven Golden Eagles from some regions they used to inhabit. In the 20th century, organochloride and heavy metal poisonings were also commonplace, but these have declined thanks to tighter regulations on pollution. Within the United States, the Golden Eagle is legally protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Available habitat and food are the main limiting factor nowadays. Collisions with power lines have become an increasingly significant cause of mortality since the early 20th century. On a global scale, the Golden Eagle is not considered threatened by the IUCN mainly thanks to the large Asian and American populations.

Little Eagle Information

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The Little Eagle is a very small eagle native to Australasia, measuring 45–55 cm (17–21.5 inches) in length and weighing 815 g (1.8 lb) – roughly the size of a Peregrine Falcon. It tends to inhabit open woodland, grassland and arid regions, shunning dense forest. It is a near relative of both the Palearctic Booted Eagle and, remarkably, the massive but now extinct Haast's Eagle of New Zealand.

Booted Eagle Info

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The Booted Eagle is a medium-sized bird of prey. It is about 47 centimeters (18 inches) in length and has a wingspan of 120 cm (almost 4 feet). Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae.

It breeds in southern Europe, North Africa and across Asia. It is migratory, wintering in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This eagle lays 1-2 eggs in a tree or crag nest.

This is a species of wooded, often hilly countryside with some open areas. It hunts small mammals, reptiles and birds.

The Booted is a small eagle, comparable to the Common Buzzard in size though more eagle-like in shape. Males grow to about 700 grams (1.5 lbs) in weight, with females close to 1 kilogram (over 2 lb). There are two relatively distinct plumage forms. Pale birds are mainly light grey with a darker head and flight feathers. The other form has mid-brown plumage with dark grey flight feathers.

The call is a shrill kli-kli-kli.

Recent genetic research resulted in the reclassification of this species to the genus Aquila from Hieraaetus. As it is the type species of Hieraaetus, should any of the hawk-eagles be retained in a distinct genus a new name for that group would be necessary.

Along with the Little Eagle this bird is one of the closest living relatives of the extinct Haast's Eagle of New Zealand.

Bonelli's Eagle Information

2010-01-27T12:48:00.000-08:00

The Bonelli's Eagle is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. It breeds in southern Europe, Africa both north and south of the Sahara Desert and across southern Asia to Indonesia. It is usually a resident breeder which lays 1-3 eggs in a tree or crag nest.

The Bonelli's Eagle is a species of wooded, often hilly, country with some open areas. The African race prefers savannah, forest edges, cultivation, and scrub, provided there are some large trees; this is not a species of very open or densely forested habitats.

This is a small to medium - sized eagle at 55–65 cm in length. The upperparts are dark brown, and the underside is white with dark streaks. The wings are relatively short and rounded. The long tail is grey on top and white below and has a single broad black terminal band. The feet and eyes are yellow.

Immature birds have deep buff underparts and underwing coverts, and have fine barring on the tail without the terminal band.

The Bonelli's Eagle takes a wide range of live prey, all taken alive. It usually hunts from cover by a quick dash from inside a tree, but it will also catch prey by quartering hill slopes like other eagles, or make a stoop from a soaring position. Most prey is taken on the ground.

This eagle takes large prey items, usually mammals or birds. Mammals up to the size of a hare are regularly taken, and birds up to guineafowl size. The Bonelli's Eagle is usually silent except in display and near the nest. Its fluted klu-kluklu-kluee call is less shrill than that of its near relatives.

Recent DNA research resulted in this species being moved to the genus Aquila from Hieraaetus.

African Hawk-eagle Information

2010-01-27T12:47:00.001-08:00

The African Hawk Eagle is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae.

The African Hawk Eagle breeds in tropical Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a bird of wooded hills, building a stick nest about 3 feet (almost 1 meter) in diameter in the fork of a large tree. The clutch is generally one or two eggs.

This is a small to medium-sized eagle at about 55–65 cm in length. The upper parts are blackish. Its underparts are white heavily streaked with black. The underwing flight feathers are white with a black trailing edge. The underwing coverts are mostly black with white spots.

Sexes are similar, but young birds are brown above and rufous coloration replaces the black underparts of the adult.

The African Hawk Eagle hunts small mammals, reptiles, and birds up to the size of a francolin. The call is a shrill kluu-kluu-kluu.

Ayres's Hawk-eagle Information

2010-01-27T12:46:00.001-08:00

Ayres's Hawk-eagle is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Martial Eagle Information

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It is a very large eagle, with a length of 76–96 cm (30–38 in), weight of 3.1–6.2 kg (6.8–14 lb) and a wingspan of 188–260 cm (6.2–8.5 ft). The adult's plumage has dark brown upperparts, head and upper chest. The body underparts are white spotted with black. The underwing coverts are brown, with pale flight feathers, also streaked with black. The female is usually larger and more spotted than the male. The immature is paler above and has white underparts. It reaches adult plumage in its seventh year.

Range and habitat

The Martial Eagle can be found in all Sub-Saharan Africa, wherever food is abundant and the environment favourable. It is never common, but greater population densities do exist in southern Africa, especially in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Generally, these birds are more abundant in protected areas such as Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa or Etosha National Park, in Namibia.

Its preferred habitat is the semi-desert and open savannah. It avoids dense forests but needs trees to nest in. The territory can vary greatly in size from more than 1,000 km² (390 sq mi) to areas where nests are less than 10 km (6.2 mi) distant. This disparity is due to differences in food supply.

Diet

The diet of the Martial Eagle varies greatly with prey availability. Birds up to the size of a stork can be taken, but it more often chooses medium-sized ground-dwelling species such as francolins, guinea fowl or bustards. In some areas mammals constitute the greater part of its diet, with such species as hares, hyraxes, mongooses, young impalas and baboons, and adult duikers. Remarkably, this powerful aggressive bird has been recorded as preying on 32 kg (71 lb) duikers, which they would have to leave and return to the kill site to feed on repeatedly. It may also attack domestic livestock, including poultry, lambs and young goats, but this is never a great part of its diet.

The Martial Eagle hunts mostly in flight, circling high above its territory, and stooping sharply to catch its prey by surprise.

Nesting

Martial Eagles have no distinctive display flight, but utter a loud cry 'klee-klee-klee-kloeee-kloeee-kuleee' during the mating period. They build their nests in trees but also (in the Karoo of South Africa) on electric-power pylons. The nest is a huge construction, used year after year, measuring 2 m (6.6 ft) in diameter and 0.9 m (3.0 ft) deep. They have a slow breeding rate, laying at most one egg every two years. The egg is incubated for 45 days and the chick fledged at 100 days. Beyond this, despite becoming increasingly independent, juvenile birds will remain close to the nest for another 6 months.

Conservation issues

This species is currently experiencing a major decline in numbers. Its conservation status was uplisted to Near Threatened in 2009 and another uplisting is already expected. Martial Eagle suffers from persecution through shooting and poisoning, but also from indirect threats, such as collision with power-lines. Another hazard is caused by steep sided farm reservoirs, in which many birds drown. In South Africa it may have lost 20% of its population in the last three generations. In many areas where they come into contact with humans, eagle populations have decreased greatly through persecution, because they are blamed for killing livestock. In reality, domestic animals constitute only a small proportion of their diet, whereas the presence of eagles is a sure sign of a healthy environment. The preservation of this species depends on education of farmers, and the direct protection of nesting sites.

Crowned Eagle Information

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The Crowned Eagle or Crowned Hawk-eagle is a very large, powerful, crested bird of prey 80–90 cm (2.6–3.0 ft) long, approximately) found in tropical Africa south of the Sahara; in Southern Africa it is a common resident in suitable habitat in the eastern areas. It is the only extant member of the genus Stephanoaetus. A second species, the Malagasy Crowned Eagle (Stephanoaetus mahery) became extinct after humans settled on Madagascar (Goodman, 1994).

It mainly inhabits dense forests. Its staple diet consists of monkeys (particularly those of the genus Chlorocebus) and other medium-sized mammals), such as the Cape Hyrax and small antelopes. To a far lesser extent, birds and monitor lizards are also taken. However, 98% of the diet is mammalian.

While it, on average, weighs less and has a smaller wing-span than the Martial Eagle (the total length of the two is very similar), the Crowned Eagle is Africa's most powerful and ferocious eagle in terms of the weight and nature of prey taken. It preys on mammals, especially duikers, weighing up to 34 kg (75 lb). Due to their similarities, the Crowned Eagle is often considered Africa's analogue of the Harpy Eagle.

Description

The Crowned Eagle has dark grey upperparts with rufous and white below; its belly and breasts are heavily mottled with black. This eagle has short, broad and rounded wings for added manoeuvrability in its environment. The rufous underwing coverts and strongly barred white and black outer wings and tail are all diagnostic in flight. The large crest (often raised) combined with this bird's very large size make the adult near-unmistakable at suitable range.

The juvenile is often confused with the juvenile Martial Eagle, especially in flight. The juvenile Crowned is distinguished from that species in having a much longer, more heavily barred tail, spotted legs and an all-white head.

The legs are extremely powerful and the eagle possesses formidably large, strong talons, often used for killing and dismembering prey. Length is 80–95 cm (31–37 in), the wingspan is 1.5–2.1 m (4.9–6.9 ft) and body weight is 2.55–4.2 kg (5 lb 10 oz–9 lb 4 oz). As in most birds of prey, the female is larger than the male.

Distribution and habitat

In eastern Africa, the Crowned Eagle's range extends from southern Uganda and Kenya, forested parts of Tanzania, eastern Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and eastern South Africa about as far south as Knysna.

Its range also extends westward about as far as Liberia, though its distribution is severely fragmented in these areas. The eagle is less prominent at the extremes of its range, being most populous between Zimbabwe and Tanzania; it is restricted to denser vegetation and forests throughout its distribution.

The Crowned Eagle inhabits dense forests (sometimes plantations), heavily wooded hillsides, dense woodland and rocky outcrops throughout its range, at an altitude of up to 11,000 ft. Owing to lack of suitable habitat (through deforestation and industrialisation), the eagle's range is discontinuous.

Ecology

The Crowned Eagle is non-migratory and is largely sedentary, usually inhabiting a fixed territory for most of its lifespan. There is evidence that the birds migrate moderate distances when circumstances require it, for example when changing mates in isolated breeding areas (The Hawk Conservancy Trust, 2006). Such migration is local in scale and is not comparable to the seasonal migrations of some other eagle species (e.g., the Steppe Eagle.)

Whilst essentially an elusive species (owing mostly to its habitat), the Crowned Eagle is highly vocal and has a noisy, undulating display flight. The male performs an elaborate rise-and-fall display over the forest canopy both during the breeding season and outside it as a territorial proposition. During this display, the male is noisy and may reach heights exceeding 900m (~ 3000 ft). The voice is a series of loud whistles that rise and fall in pitch. The female may also perform independent display flights and pairs are also known to collaborate in spectacular tandems.

Diet

The Crowned Eagle's staple diet is mostly mammalian, with primates being the most commonly taken prey (82% in one study in Uganda). In suitable habitat it will also take Hyraxes and small Antelope such as Duiker. An adult eagle will only resort to hunting large wild fowls (such as Guineafowl), Monitor lizards and snakes when mammalian food sources are scarce, which is uncommon. Juveniles and subadults, however, may take these types of prey more frequently.

Being a forest-dwelling species, the Crowned Eagle has no need to travel great distances to hunt, nor employ a great deal of active hunting flight (such as soaring seen in savannah-dwelling species). Rather, it tends to hunt passively; a soaring range of 4–10 miles is the norm and is only seldom exceeded. After flying above the canopy and locating a suitable hunting spot (sometimes by the call of the noisy Vervet monkey), the eagle will wait on a perch, perhaps for a nearby troop of monkeys to be spotted. Following the sighting of suitable prey, the eagle quickly and stealthily manoeuvres itself through the forest towards its prey, a certain element of surprise inherent in its final approach. The sharp, powerful talons may produce sufficient force to kill the prey on impact; if not, death from trauma or asphyxiation soon follows. Typically, the eagle can carry a mass roughly equal to its own (~ 3–6 kg) to its nest or perch; anything heavier is dismembered and returned to the nest or perch in pieces. Parts of larger prey are often cached for later consumption.

Breeding

Crowned Eagle pairs breed once every two years; a single breeding cycle is of approximately 500 days in duration.

The pair collaborate in building a massive nest in a fork of a large forest tree, typically 15–40 m (49–130 ft) above the ground. A nest built from scratch may take several (up to 5) months to construct, however existing nests are often repaired and re-used during successive breeding seasons. A larger nest may measure up to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) across and up to 3 m (9.8 ft) deep and consists of both dead and greener branches.

Conservation status

The Crowned Eagle is fairly common in suitable habitat, though its numbers show decline in sync with deforestation. It is far more common in protected areas and reserves than elsewhere in its range, though is still recorded consistently outside of these areas. Its numbers are probably higher than modern suspicion might suggest, though invariably hinge on rates of deforestation, especially in the north of its range.

Like the slightly larger Martial Eagle, the Crowned has throughout modern history been persecuted by farmers, who hold that the bird is a threat to their livestock. Neither the Crowned nor the Martial have been implicated in regular attacks on livestock, with only isolated cases of starving individuals attacking calves. It is worth noting that the Crowned in particular rarely leaves the forest to hunt, and occasions where it soars outside of dense forest are usually owing to territorial or breeding-related behaviour.

In April 1996 the world's first captive-born Crowned Eagle hatched at the San Diego Zoo. The species is currently housed at only five zoological facilities, including San Diego, San Francisco Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, and Lowry Park Zoo.

Long-crested Eagle Information

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The Long-crested Eagle is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae. It is currently placed in a monotypic genus Lophaetus.

A medium-sized bird (about 55 cm), found in Africa south of the Sahara, except in the arid zones. In southern Africa it is a fairly common resident in the eastern areas. It inhabits woodlands, exotic plantations, forest edges and mainly lives off rodents and shrews.

Black-and-white Hawk-eagle Information

2010-01-27T12:35:00.001-08:00

The Black-and-white Hawk-eagle is a bird of prey species in the eagle and hawk family (Accipitridae). It is found throughout a large part of tropical America, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina.

Description

As its name suggest, this is a black and white eagle, resembling the small typical eagles sometimes separated in "Hieraaetus". It is some 20-24 in (50-60 cm) long overall and weighs about 30 oz (850 g). The head, neck and body are white; a small crest forms a black spot on top of the head, and the area around the eyes, particularly towards the bill, is also black. The wings are black, and the bird has a brownish tail barred black-dark grey and with white tip. The iris is orange, the feet pale to bright yellow with black talons. The bill is black with a yellow cere.

The sexes are alike in color, but the female is larger. Immature birds have pale edges on the upperwing coverts and some brownish-grey feathers on the back.

The Black-and-white Hawk-eagle is hard to confuse with any other bird in its range. The Black-faced Hawk (Leucopternis melanops) is very similar in overall coloration, but it is much smaller and has a black tail with a single bold white bar in the middle. The Ornate Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus ornatus), presumably a very close relative of S. melanoleucus, looks quite similar when young. However, the wings, back and tail are much lighter in young S. ornatus, and they do not have the black eye-ring.

Distribution and ecology

This species occurs from Oaxaca to Veracruz in southern Mexico southwards throughout Central America, with the exception of most of El Salvador and the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. In South America, it occurs on the Pacific side of the Andes south to Ecuador. The bulk of its range extends along the Caribbean coast from northern Colombia and Venezuela to the Guianas, and south through eastern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay to NE Argentina, and from there westwards again to Beni and Santa Cruz in NE Bolivia. A Black-and-white Hawk-eagle population is also found in the Loreto Region of NE Peru; it is not known in how far this is isolated from the rest of the bird's range. The species is absent from western Amazonia, and it is not common in the lands to the east (e.g. in Minas Gerais).

Its natural habitats are lowland forests of any type, though very dense and humid as well as savanna-like semiarid habitat are not preferred. Habitat fragmentation is not very well tolerated; though the species prefers a diverse habitat of mixed forest and shrubland, it requires large stands of closed-canopy forest to thrive. Its range does not extend very far into the uplands, but one individual was sighted at an altitude of about 4,000 ft (c.1,200 m) ASL in the Buena Vista Nature Reserve in Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

The food of this carnivore consists of mammals, toads, squamates and in particular a wide variety of birds. Among the latter, it is known to prefer tree-living species, such as oropendolas, aracaris, tanagers and cotingas. But ground- and waterbirds like tinamous, chachalacas, cormorants and the highly threatened Brazilian Merganser (Mergus octosetaceus) have also been recorded as its prey. The Black-and-white Hawk-eagle has been known to attack small monkeys, though it is not clear with which intent. For as it seems, it has not been recorded to actually kill and eat a monkey.

Its preferred hunting technique is to soar high until it has spotted suitable prey, and then dive down on it, usually right into the forest canopy, but it has also been observed to catch a White Woodpecker (Melanerpes candidus) that had been mobbing it in mid-air, after lauching itself from its perch. It likes to hunt along ridges and forest edges where it can access the canopy-level from an oblique direction rather than just from directly above, and where ground-living prey is also more accessible.

It nests in the forest canopy, building a stick nest high up in exposed trees on ridges and similar locations, from where good hunting grounds can be watched. Detailed observations on its nesting habits are nearly non-existent however. In Panama, birds started to construct a nest in September, during a dry spell in the rainy season. But the main nesting season may start before the onset of the rainy season as the nesting attempt was abandoned when heavy rains recommenced. The scant other data agrees with this, and at least in Central America the nesting season seems to run from March to June or so.

There is a general lack of information on the Black-and-white Hawk-eagle's movements and population status. Each bird seems to require a hunting territory of about 3,500 acres (1,400 hectars) at least. While the variety of habitat types in which it is found suggests that it is not particularly susceptible to changes in land use, it is apparently still a rare and local species almost anywhere in its range. The IUCN until 2000 classified it as a Near Threatened species due to the uncertainties surrounding its status, but as no evidence of a marked decline has been found and as the bird is found across a wide range, it was downlisted to a Species of Least Concern.

Taxonomy and systematics

This species is often placed in the monotypic genus Spizastur, but has recently been moved to Spizaetus e.g. by the American Ornithologists' Union, as it appears that the Ornate Hawk-Eagle (S. ornatus) is its sister taxon. This has created quite some taxonomic confusion, which has largely gone unnoticed however:

Originally, the name Spizaetus melanoleucus was given by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot to the Black-chested Buzzard-eagle in 1819, while the Black-and-white Hawk-eagle had been described in 1816 by the very same scientist as Buteo melanoleucus. The former species was placed in Geranoaetus – also a monotypic genus – in 1844, while the Black-and-white Hawk-eagle had been moved out of Buteo and into Spizastur a few years earlier.

Thus, the identical specific names never came into direct conflict until recently. But the Black-chested Eagle-buzzard's placement in a monotypic genus was always disputed, and several authors treated it in Buteo. However, they overlooked that Buteo melanoleucus was the original name of the Black-and-white Hawk-eagle and thus as a senior homonym could not be applied to the later-described species. The correct specific name for the Black-chested Eagle-buzzard when placed in Buteo, Buteo fuscescens, was reestablished in the mid-20th century for a short time more by accident than anything else; as most late-20th-century researchers argued for retaining Geranoaetus, this name was dismissed as erroneous and essentially forgotten.

As the Black-and-white Hawk-eagle has not been placed in Buteo since long, Article 59.3 of the ICZN Code applies. According to this, a junior homonym replaced before 1961 is not rendered permanently invalid (as junior homonyms usually are) if "the substitute name is not in use" – which has been the case after Amadon's 1963 revision. Hence, in this case the scientific name Buteo melanoleucus can apply to the Black-chested Eagle-buzzard, even though the Black-and-white Hawk-eagle was described under exactly that name earlier, while the senior homonym melanoleucus still applies to the latter species when placed in Spizaetus according to the usual ICZN rules. Consequently, the proper name to use for each bird has through a number of coincidences become the senior synonym of the other species.

Ornate Hawk-eagle Information

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The Ornate Hawk-eagle is a bird of prey from the tropical Americas. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae. This species is notable for its vivid colors, which differ markedly between adult and immature birds.

This is a medium-large raptor, at about 58-64 cm (23-25 in) in length, and weighing about 1200 g (42 oz). It has a prominent pointed crest, raised when excited, a black bill, broad wings and a long rounded tail.

The typical adult has blackish upperparts and crown, bright chestnut sides to the neck and breast and a black-edged white throat and central breast. The rest of the underparts and feathered legs are white barred with black, and the tail has broad black bars. The underwings are white, with barred flight feathers; due to the heavy pattern birds usually look rather dark in flight.

Sexes are similar, but young birds have a white head and underparts, with a grey crest, brown upperparts, and barring only on the flanks and legs.

The call is a high-pitched whee-oo whee-oo.

This bird is found in humid tropical forests from southern Mexico and the Yucatán Peninsula, to Trinidad and Tobago, south to Peru and Argentina. They are able to tolerate some degree of habitat fragmentation, breeding successfully near cities and in forest fragments as small as 200 hectares (490 acres). Ornate Hawk-eagles eat mainly birds, with some small mammals, and reptiles.

The male's courtship display is a dive with folded wings, and a climb, sometimes completing a loop. The pair will touch talons in flight as the female rolls on her back. This species builds a large stick nest in a high tree (e.g. Ceiba), many meters above ground. The nest is around 1 meter (3 ft) in diameter. Most breeding activity occurs around April/May, differing slightly according to location: in Guatemala breeding activity was observed from March to June, in Costa Rica in April and May, in Panama from November/December to May, and in the lowlands of Ecuador in March and April.

Though locally rare, it is not considered a threatened species by the IUCN due to its wide range.

Black Hawk-eagle Information

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The Black Hawk-Eagle also known as the Tyrant Hawk-Eagle, is a species of eagle found from central Mexico to eastern Peru, the south of Brazil, and far northern Argentina. Its preferred habitats include humid and moist forests close to rivers, and several types of woodland. It is uncommon to fairly common throughout most of its range.

It has black plumage with varying patterns on its wings and body, and white speckling in places. It has barred wings, slightly elliptical in shape, and a long, narrow tail which is rarely fanned. The four grey bars on the tail are distinctive to the Black Hawk-Eagle, as is the white line seen slightly above the bird's eye. While flying, the broadness and shortness of the wings become apparent. While in flight, the bird's tail is typically kept closed.

Diet

Though light and small compared to other members of its genus, this bird mainly eats opossums and monkeys, as well as, occasionally, small bats and birds. Its popular name in Brazil is "Gavião-pega-macaco", which means "monkey-catching hawk". The birds it takes can be quite large, such as toucans,and chachalacas.^[ The dietary habits of the Black Hawk-Eagle, however, remain mostly unknown, with very few records of the bird eating.

Breeding

Like its diet, the Black Hawk-Eagle's breeding behaviour is little known other than some details relating to its nest: composed of sticks and possibly other materials, the nest is around one metre and a half in total diameter and is usually constructed in tall trees, often around fifteen metres high. The variety of tree chosen probably varies greatly, but they have been observed chiefly in pine trees.

Philippine Hawk-eagle Information

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The Philippine Hawk-eagle, known in French as aigle des Philippines and in Spanish as aguila-azor Filipina is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. The subspecies pinskeri may be a candidate for raising to full species. It is endemic to the Philippines.

Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Sulawesi Hawk-eagle

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The Sulawesi Hawk-eagle also known as Celebes Hawk-eagle, is a medium-sized, approximately 64cm long, crestless brown raptor in the family Accipitridae. The adults have rufous-brown, boldly marked head and chest feathers, dark brown wings and black-barred white below. The young has white head and underparts.

An Indonesian endemic, the Sulawesi Hawk-eagle is distributed in rainforests of Sulawesi and its satellite islands of Buton, Muna, Banggai and Sula Islands. The diet consists mainly of birds, lizards, snakes and mammals.

Widespread throughout its habitat range, the Sulawesi Hawk-eagle is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

Mountain Hawk-eagle

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The Mountain Hawk-eagle or Hodgson's Hawk-eagle is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae. It breeds in southern Asia from Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka to China, Taiwan and Japan.

The Mountain Hawk-eagle is a medium-large raptor at about 70–72 cm in length. The typical adult has brown upperparts and pale underparts, with barring on the undersides of the flight feathers and tail. The breast and belly and underwing coverts are heavily streaked. The wings are broad with a curved trailing edge, and are held in a shallow V in flight. Sexes are similar, but young birds are often whiter-headed.

The Sri Lankan and south Indian subspecies (S. n. kelaarti) is smaller and has unstreaked buff underwing coverts. A 2008 study based on the geographic isolation and differences in call suggest that this be treated as a full species, Nisaetus kelaarti. The Japanese subspecies N. n. orientalis is larger, lighter, and has only a very small crest, which is large in the other two subspecies.

The heavier underpart streaking and wing shape help to distinguish this species from the similar Changeable Hawk-eagle.

It is a bird of mountain woodland, which builds a stick nest in a tree and lays usually a single egg. Mountain Hawk-eagles eat small mammals, birds and reptiles.

Though it is not considered a globally threatened species, the Japanese population is declining. As the species is a K-strategist like all eagles, it was feared that the ongoing population reduction of N. n. orientalis might lead to loss of genetic diversity, and consequently inbreeding depression. However, genetic diversity was shown to be still considerable at present.

Changeable Hawk-eagle

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The Crested Hawk-eagle or Changeable Hawk-eagle, is a bird of prey of the family Accipitridae. They were formerly placed in the genus Spizaetus but studies pointed to the group being paraphyletic resulting in the Old World members being placed in Nisaetus (Hodgson, 1836) and separated from the New World species.

Changeable Hawk Eagles breed in southern Asia in Northern Pakistan across to the Republic of India and Sri Lanka and from the SE rim of the Himalaya across Southeast Asia to Indonesia and the Philippines. This is a bird occurring singly (outside mating season) in open woodland, although island forms prefer a higher tree density. It builds a stick nest in a tree and lays a single egg.

Description

The Crested hawk-eagle is a medium-large raptor at about 60–72 cm in length. It is a relatively slender forest eagle with some subspecies (especially limnaetus) being dimorphic giving the name of "Changeable". This, and also a complicated phylogeny further complicates precise identification.

Normally brown above; white below with barring on the undersides of the flight feathers and tail; black longitudinal streaks on throat and chocolate streaks on breast. Some subspecies have a crest of four feathers, but this is all but absent in others. Sexes alike; female larger, and young birds are often whiter-headed and less patterned.

The wings are long and parallel-sided, and are held flat in flight, which helps to distinguish this species from the similar Mountain Hawk Eagle. In overhead flight, comparatively rounded wings (upturned at tip), longish tail, white body (spotted with brown) and grey underside of wings (streaked and spotted) are leading pointers.

Call: A loud, high-pitched ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-kee, beginning short, rising in crescendo and ending in a scream.

Black-and-chestnut Eagle

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The Black-and-chestnut Eagle is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is often placed in the monotypic genus Oroaetus. It is found humid montane forests in the Andes from northern Argentina, through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, to Venezuela, with isolated populations in the Venezuelan Coastal Range, Serranía del Perijá and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It is generally local and rare.

New Guinea Harpy Eagle

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The New Guinea Harpy Eagle, also known as the Kapul Eagle, is a huge (up to 90cm long) greyish brown raptor with a short full crest, broad three-banded wings, powerful beak, large iris, long rounded tail and white underparts. It has long and powerful unfeathered legs with sharp claws. The sexes are similar, and the female is slightly larger than the male. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Harpyopsis.

The New Guinea Harpy Eagle is endemic to undisturbed tropical rainforests of New Guinea, where it became the top predator of the island. The diet consists mainly of phalangers or Kapul in a local language, hence its alternative name. It also feeds on other mammals, birds and snakes.

One of a group of four large eagles, the others being the Crested and Harpy Eagle of South America and the Philippine Eagle of the Philippines, the New Guinea Harpy Eagle is essentially a mountain bird that nests in high forest trees.

Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size, and hunting for its feathers which are used on ceremonial occasions, the New Guinea Harpy Eagle is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

Philippine Eagle

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The Philippine Eagle also known as the Great Philippine Eagle or Monkey-eating Eagle, is among the tallest, rarest, largest, and most powerful birds in the world. A bird of prey belonging to the family Accipitridae, it is also known as "Haribon" or "Haring Ibon," which means "Bird King". Its local name is banog.

Taxonomy

The species was discovered in 1896 by the English explorer and naturalist John Whitehead, who observed the bird and whose servant, Juan, collected the first specimen a few weeks later. The skin of the bird was sent to William Robert Ogilvie-Grant in London in 1897, who initially showed it off in a local restaurant and described the species a few weeks later.

Upon its discovery, the Philippine Eagle was first called the Monkey-eating Eagle because of reports from natives of Bonga, Samar where the species was first discovered that it preyed exclusively on monkeys; from these reports it gained its generic name, from the Greek pithecus ("ape or monkey") and phagus ("eater of"). The specific name commemorates Jeffery Whitehead, the father of John Whitehead. Later studies revealed, however, that the alleged Monkey-eating Eagle also ate other animals such as colugo, civets, large snakes, monitor lizards, and even large birds like hornbills. This, coupled with the fact that the same name applied to the African Crowned Hawk-eagle and the South American Harpy Eagle, resulted in a presidential proclamation to change its name to Philippine Eagle in 1978, and in 1995 it was declared a national emblem. This species has no recognized subspecies.

Evolutionary history

A recent study of the Philippine Eagle's DNA suggests that the bird has a unique evolutionary history. Its genetic sequence differs from those of other large eagles. Researchers from the University of Michigan analyzed the DNA isolated from blood samples of the Philippine Eagle. The sequence was then compared to those of the Harpy Eagle, Crested Eagle, and the New Guinea Harpy Eagle. All three are related genetically but they are not closely related to the Philippine Eagle. These species were once believed to be closely related due to their similar sizes, habitat, and habits; however, these similarities are now believed to be the result of convergent evolution. It is actually believed that the closest relative to the Philippine Eagle may be the much smaller snake eagles.

Description

The Philippine Eagle's nape is adorned with long brown feathers that form a shaggy crest. These feathers give it the appearance of possessing a lion's mane, which in turn resembles the mythical gryphon. The eagle has a dark face and a creamy-brown nape and crown. The back of the Philippine Eagle is dark brown, while the underside and underwings are white. The heavy legs are yellow with large, powerful dark claws, and the prominent large, high-arched, deep beak is a bluish-gray. The eagle's eyes are blue-gray. Juveniles are similar to adults except that their upperpart feathers have pale fringes.

The average female is about 102 centimeters (3.36 ft) long and weighs about 7 kilograms (15.5 lb). The adult male is about 10 to 20% smaller and averages at about 91 centimeters (3 ft) and 5 kilograms (11 lb). The Philippine Eagle is the world's largest living eagle in terms of length. The species has a wingspan of approximately 2 meters (6.6 ft). The wings of this eagle are shorter than large eagles of open country (such as the Martial Eagle, Wedge-tailed Eagle and Steller's Sea Eagle), but are quite broad and have a greater surface area than any other eagle.

The most frequently heard noises made by the Philippine Eagle are loud, high-pitched whistles. Additionally, juveniles have been known to beg for food by a series of high-pitched calls.

Distribution and habitat

The Philippine Eagle is endemic to the Philippines and can be found on four major islands: eastern Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. The largest number of eagles reside on Mindanao, with between 82 and 233 breeding pairs. Only six pairs are found on Samar, two on Leyte, and a few on Luzon. It can be found in Northern Sierra Madre National Park on Luzon and Mount Apo and Mount Kitanglad National Parks on Mindanao. Some Palawan natives have claimed that the Philippine Eagle does exist in the island province. Some are under care of the Palawan Crocodile Farm

This eagle is found in dipterocarp and mid-montane forests, particularly in steep areas. Its elevation ranges from the lowlands to mountains of over 1,800 meters (5,905 ft). It is estimated that only 9,220 square kilometers (2,280,000 acres) of old growth forest remain in the bird's range. However, its total estimated range is about 146,000 square kilometers (56,000 sq mi).

Ecology and behavior

Evolution in the Philippine islands, without other predators, made the eagles the dominant hunter in the Philippine forests. Each breeding pair requires a large home range (of 25 to 50 square miles) to successfully raise a chick, and thus the species is extremely vulnerable to the regularly occurring deforestation.

The species' flight is fast and agile, resembling the smaller hawks more than similar large birds of prey.

Juveniles in play behavior have been observed gripping knotholes in trees with their talons and, using its tail and wings for balance, inserting its head into a tree cavity. Additionally, they have been known to attack inanimate objects for practice as well as attempt to hang upside down to work on their balance. As the parents are not nearby when this occurs, it has been suggested that they do not play a role in teaching the juvenile to hunt.

Life expectancy for a wild eagle is estimated to be anywhere from 30 to 60 years. A captive Philippine Eagle lived for more than 41 years in a zoo in Rome. However, it is believed that wild birds on average live shorter than captive birds.

Diet

This eagle was initially known as the Monkey-eating Eagle because it was believed to only feed on monkeys; this has proved to be inaccurate. The Philippine Eagle's prey varies from island to island as available species vary, especially between Luzon and Mindanao. This is due to the islands being in different faunal regions. For example, Philippine flying lemurs, which are the preferred prey in Mindanao, are absent in Luzon. It is unknown what the primary prey for the species on Luzon is. The Philippine Eagles prefer flying lemurs and Asian Palm Civets, but they also occasionally eat other small mammals, reptiles and birds, such as snakes, monitor lizards, hornbills, owls, and even other birds of prey. There have additionally been reports of this eagle capturing young pigs and small dogs. It is estimated that the flying lemur could make up 90% of the bird's diet in some locations.

Videos: Philippine eagle hunting flying lemurs.

The Philippine Eagle also infrequently eats monkeys. Pairs sometimes hunt troops of monkey cooperatively, with one bird perching nearby to distract the primates so that the other can soar in unnoticed for the kill.

Reproduction

The complete breeding cycle of the Philippine Eagle lasts for two years. The female sexually matures at five years of age and the male seven. Like most eagles, the Philippine Eagle is monogamous. Once paired, a couple remains together for the rest of their lives. However, if one bird of a pair dies, the survivor often finds a new mate to replace the one lost.

The beginning of courtship is signaled by nest-building and the eagle remaining near its nest. Aerial displays also play a major role in the courtship. These displays include paired soaring over a nesting territory, the male chasing the female in a diaganol dive, and mutual talon presentation, where the male presents his talons to the female's back and she flips over in mid-air to present her own talons. Advertisement displays coupled with loud calling have also been reported. The willingness of an eagle to breed is displayed by the eagle bringing nesting materials to the bird's nest. Copulation follows and occurs repeatedly both on the nest and on nearby perches. The earliest courtship has been reported in July.

Breeding begins between September and February; birds on different islands, most notably Mindanao and Luzon, begin breeding at different ends of this range. The amount of rainfall and population of prey may also affect the breeding season. The nest is normally built on an emergent dipterocarp, or any tall tree with an open crown, in primary or disturbed forest and may be nearly 1.5 meters (5 ft) across and about 30 meters (99 ft) above the ground. The eagle's nest resembles a huge platform made of sticks. The eagle frequently reuses the same nesting site for several different chicks. Eight to ten days before the egg is ready to be laid, the female is afflicted with a condition known as egg lethargy. In this experience, the female does not eat, drinks lots of water, and holds its wings droopingly. The female typically lays one egg in the late afternoon or at dusk, although occasionally two have been reported. If an egg fails to hatch or the chick dies early, the parents will likely lay another egg the following year. Copulation may last a few days after the egg is laid to enable another egg to be laid should the first one fail. The egg is incubated for 58 to 68 days after being laid. Both sexes participate in the incubation, but the female does the majority of incubating during the day and all of it at night.

Both sexes help feed the newly hatched eaglet. Additionally, the parents have been observed taking turns shielding the eaglet from the sun and rain until it is seven weeks old. The young eaglet fledges after four or five months. The earliest that a juvenile has been observed making a kill is 304 days after hatching. However, the parents will care of the eaglet for a total of twenty months.

Conservation

The 2008 IUCN Red List listed this species as critically endangered. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature believes that between 180 and 500 Philippine Eagles survive in the Philippines. They are threatened primarily by deforestation through logging and expanding agriculture. Old growth forest is lost at a high rate, and most of the eagle's forest in the lowlands is owned by logging companies. Mining, pollution, exposure to pesticides that affect breeding, and poaching are also major threats. Additionally, they are occasionally caught in traps laid by the local people for deer. Though this is no longer a major problem, the eagle's numbers were also reduced by being captured for zoos.

Charles Lindbergh, best known for crossing the Atlantic alone and without stopping in 1927, was fascinated by this eagle. As a representative of the World Wildlife Fund, Lindbergh travelled to the Philippines several times between 1969 and 1972, where he helped persuade the government to protect the eagle. In 1969, the Monkey-eating Eagle Conservation Program was started to help preserve this species. In 1992, the first Philippine Eagles were born in captivity through artificial insemination; however, it wasn't until 1999 that the first naturally bred eaglet hatched. The first captive-bred bird to be released in the wild, Kabayan, was released in 2004 on Mindanao; however, he was accidentally electrocuted in January 2005. Another eagle, Kagsabua, was released March 6, 2008, but was shot and eaten by a farmer. However, killing this critically endangered species is punishable under Philippine law by twelve years in jail and heavy fines.

Its numbers have slowly dwindled over the decades to the current population of 180 to 500 eagles. A series of floods and mud slides, caused by deforestation, further devastated the remaining population. The Philippine Eagle may soon no longer be found in the wild, unless direct intervention is taken. The Philippine Eagle Foundation of Davao City, Mindanao is one organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of the Philippine Eagle and its forest habitat. The Philippine Eagle Foundation has successfully bred Philippine Eagles in captivity for over a decade and conducted the first experimental release of a captive-bred eagle to the wild. The foundation has 32 eagles at its center, of which 18 were bred in captivity. Ongoing research on behavior, ecology and population dynamics is also underway. In recent years protected lands have been established specifically for this species, such as the 700 square kilometers (170,000 acres) Cabuaya Forest and the 37.2 square kilometers (9,200 acres) Taft Forest Wildlife Sanctuary on Samar. However, a large proportion of the population is found on unprotected land.

Relationship with humans

The Philippine Eagle was named the national bird of the Philippines in 1995 by President Fidel V. Ramos under Proclamation No. 615. This eagle, because of its size and rarity, is also a highly desired bird for birdwatchers.

The Philippine Eagle has also featured on at least twelve stamps from the Philippines, with dates ranging from 1967 to 2007.

Harpy Eagle

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The Harpy Eagle, sometimes known as the American Harpy Eagle, is a Neotropical species of eagle. This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Vultur harpyja. It is the only member of the genus Harpia.

It is the largest and most powerful raptor found in America, and among the largest extant species of eagles in the world. It usually inhabits tropical lowland rainforests in the upper (emergent) canopy layer.

Its name refers to the harpies of Ancient Greek mythology. These were wind spirits that took the dead to Hades, and were said to have a body like an eagle and the face of a human.

Crested Eagle

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The Crested Eagle is a large Neotropical eagle. It is the only member of the genus Morphnus. It is 71–89 cm (28–35 in) long and weighs 1.75–3 kg (3.9–6.6 lbs).

It is sparsely distributed throughout its extensive range from Guatemala through Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, and east Andean Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay and Bolivia to north Argentina. It often overlaps in range with the Harpy Eagle, which is likely its close relative and is somewhat similar to appearance, though the Crested Eagle is half that species' bulk and avoids competition by taking generally smaller prey.

Solitary Eagle Information

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Range and habitat

The Solitary Eagle is native to Mexico and Central and South America. It is found in mountainous or hilly forests. The frequent reports from lowlands are usually misidentifications of another species, usually the Common Black Hawk; no reports from lowlands have been confirmed. It is rare in all areas of its range and poorly known.

Appearance

The adult Solitary Eagle is uniformly dark gray, often appearing black, with white markings on the tail. It is 63–76 cm (25 to 30 inches) long, weighs 3 kg (6.6 lbs), and has a 152–188 cm (60 to 74 inch) wingspan. It appears very similar to the Common Black Hawk and Great Black Hawk, but is much larger and has significantly broader wings, extending nearly to the tip of the tail. The exceptionally broad wings are one of the prime distinguishing characteristics of this species.

The juvenile is mottled brown and tan, with markings around the eyes. It otherwise resembles the adult.

Relationships

Recent studies have shown that the Solitary Eagle is closely related to the black-hawks. Therefore, it may not merit a separate genus.

Black-chested Buzzard-eagle

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The Black-chested Buzzard-eagle 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, Grey Buzzard-eagle or analogously with "eagle" or "eagle-buzzard" replacing "buzzard-eagle", or as the Chilean Blue Eagle. It is sometimes placed in the genus Buteo.

Description

With a total length of c.25-30 in (about 62–80 cm) and weighing around 70 oz (2 kg), it is a huge eagle-like "buzzard" ("hawk" in American terminology). It is rather long- and broad-winged, with a wingspan of about 70–80 in (175–200 cm), and the slightly tapering tail is short by comparison and colored black, with grey tips in fresh plumage. The adult has a white underside, sometimes with fine blackish stripes; its upperparts are dark grey with a blackish, brownish or bluish hue. The feathers of the neck and the lowest dark feathers of the breast are somewhat elongated. Adults have an ash-grey-and-white zone on the wings, the silvery white seen clearly from afar. The female is distinguished by a reddish-cinnamon hue to the upper- and underwing secondaries and is considerably larger than the male.

The immature plumage is reminiscent of that of the Great Black Hawk (Buteogallus urubitinga). Its upperparts are deep brown, sometimes almost black, and it has no light wing patch. The underside is white or light buff with heavy dark streaks on the breast and dark bars on the belly and thighs. It does not acquire the full adult plumage until 4–5 years old.

It is not very vocal, calling usually in flight and when close to the nest. Some calls resemble a wild human laugh, others are a curlew-like whistle. Occasionally flying birds give a high-pitched vocalization "kukukukuku".

The Black-chested Buzzard-eagle is readily identified in flight by its short wedge-shaped tail scarcely protruding from its long, broad wings. It is usually easy to make out the generally white underparts with the dark chest-band and tail if the birds are adult. Yet as this bird is usually encountered in the wild when it soars, you are less likely to see its grey upperparts.

Systematics

There are two subspecies:

Eastern Black-chested Buzzard-eagle, Geranoaetus melanoleucus melanoleucos (Vieillot, 1819) – SE South America from S and E Brazil (Alagoas, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo states) through Paraguay, Uruguay, and NE Argentina

Larger, Plain white below.

Western Black-chested Buzzard-eagle, Geranoaetus melanoleucus australis Swann, 1922 – Andes from NW Venezuela (Mérida) through Colombia (Cordillera Central, occasionally ranging into the Cordillera Occidental), Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and W Argentina to Tierra del Fuego

Smaller. White with fine dark barring below.

The Black-chested Buzzard-eagle is allied to the Buteo hawks, and it is sometimes included with these. Other authors place it in the monotypic genus Geranoaetus. Though the former seems to be more appropriate from a phylogenetic standpoint, the latter is still used here, as much more research into phylogeny and hybridization has to take place before the correct taxonomy of the buteonines can be resolved. It stands to note that the taxonomic and systematic dispute goes back to the early-mid 20th century already. However, it seems there is no real reason to suppose that the lineage of the Black-chested Buzzard-eagle is North American in origin; fossils that might have been its ancestors at first sight differ in details and are more likely to belong to other buteonine lineages.

This species could be close to the White-tailed Hawk (Buteo albicaudatus), and perhaps to the Grey-backed (Leucopternis occidentalis), White (L. albicollis), and Mantled Hawks (L. polionotus) which it resembles in habitus except for being large. Its closest living relatives may well be the Red-backed (B. polyosoma) and Puna Hawks (B. poecilochrous). Particularly some populations of the former look like small Black-chested Buzzard-eagles. The Barred Hawk (L. princeps) looks similar to the Black-chested Buzzard-eagle in general color pattern, though the tail differs much in shape, size, and the bright white central band stands out.

The relationship of the Black-chested Buzzard-eagle to the prehistoric genera Titanohierax from the Caribbean and the Pan-American Amplibuteo also warrant more study. The crab-hawks (Buteogallus) and the solitary "eagles" (Harpyhaliaetus) seem to be allied with the latter, to the extent that these three genera might be united in Buteogallus. That genus in the present restricted sense contains species also quite similar in habitus and size to the Black-chested Eagle-buzzard.

Fossil record

Some fossils have been placed in Geranoaetus, but those from North America have since been moved elsewhere:

"Geranoaetus" ales, "G." contortus and "G." conterminus are now in Buteo.
"Geranoaetus" fragilis (Fragile "Eagle") and "G." milleri (Miller's "Eagle") are now in Buteogallus. The type specimens of the latter were at first erroneously believed to be of the Black-chested Eagle-buzzard.
"Geranoaetus" grinnelli (Grinnell's "Eagle") is now in Spizaetus.
"Geranoaetus" dananus, originally described as "Aquila" danana, is of rather unclear affiliations but probably belongs to the same lineage as the above.

Bones indistinguishable from those of living Black-chested Buzzard-eagles were found in a spring deposit at the Baños de Ciego Montero in Cienfuegos Province, Cuba. A partial left carpometacarpus – Specimen AMNH FR 6190 – as well as a fingerbone probably date from some time in the Pleistocene, during the last ice age. Its contemporary close relatives on Cuba, as far as it is known, consisted of the gigantic eagle-like buteonine hawks which were clearly distinct by size alone, while the Pleistocene record of similar-sized birds from continental North America is from the far west.

Ecology

The Black-chested Buzzard-eagle is found in mountainous or hilly terrain with sparse vegetation, shrubland or (in the south of its range) Nothofagus forest, where it spends a lot of time soaring in thermals and vertical drafts while looking for prey. It requires large territories with suitable habitat, the páramos at the north of its range, for example, while providing the latter, fail to provide the former, and thus it has only been recorded in the largest patches of such habitat, such as Páramo de Frontino. Most common between about 5,000 feet (1,500 m) and 15,000 feet (4,600 m) ASL, it rarely ventures into the lowlands.

It is most conspicuous in the mid-morning and afternoon, when individuals will seek out places which provide the best soaring conditions, such as north and west facing slopes and ridges. Apparently, their main interest at these times is aerial play and display; they tend to ignore places where food is more plentiful or easily hunted in favor of simply soaring alone or in pairs in strong air currents.

The food of this carnivore consists mainly of mid-sized mammals; the introduced European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) seems to have become a key prey item. The Black-chested Buzzard-eagle is helpful to farmers by keeping down the numbers of the rabbits, which can be serious agricultural pests. Among the native fauna degus (Octodon) and hog-nosed skunks (Conepatus) are important prey, but mammals as formidable as a Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) – two to over three times as heavy as the birds and certainly not defenceless – are occasionally hunted and killed by this hawk. Its diet is rounded off with an occasional bird – including carnivorous species like the Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) and sizeable prey such as Penelope guans or the Chilean Tinamou (Nothoprocta perdicaria) –, large squamates, and if need be also arthropods and carrion. While not aggressive under normal circumstances, the Black-chested Eagle-buzzard will fiercely attack humans if it considers itself or its offspring threatened.

It nests in high trees or on rocky cliffs, or if these are not available on high trees or even cacti. If no appropriate high place is available this species will nest in bushes or even on the ground. In Ecuador, nesting can be observed all year round; elsewhere it might have a more restricted breeding season but information is scant and somewhat contradictory. The nest is a huge mass of sticks about 85 centimetres (33 in) in diameter; the Black-chested Buzzard-eagle is just as likely to build new nests as to build new ones, and several abandoned nests are often found in the vicinity of an active one. The male and female engage in courtship flights, and copulate over a prolonged time of several weeks as the pairs bond. Little is known of the actual nesting; the clutch contains usually but sometimes 1 or 3 eggs, which are incubated for about a month. The nestlings presumably are covered in white down like in its relatives.

Due to its wide overall range it is considered a Species of Least Concern by the IUCN. While it is rare and declining in places – e.g. in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina states in Brazil, or in parts of Argentina – its habitat requirements mean that it will to some degree benefit from deforestation and it has for example colonized regions of the former Mata Atlântica forest in Alagoas. The declines in Argentina have been attributed to poisoning by strychnine baits deployed by sheep farmers trying to eradicate pests.