Eagles
Birds of Prey ... The Sport of Falconry
Eagles are large birds of prey which inhabit mainly the Old World, with only two species (Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle) commonly found in North America, a few in South America, the (White-bellied Sea Eagle, Wedge-tailed Eagle) in Australia and the Philippine Eagle in the Philippine Archipelago. They are members of the bird order Falconiformes, family Accipitridae and belong to several different genera, not necessarily closely related to each other.
Eagles are differentiated from other broad-winged birds of prey mainly by their larger size, more powerful build, and heavier head and bill. Even the smallest eagles, like the Booted Eagle, which is comparable in size to a Common Buzzard or Red-tailed Hawk has relatively longer and more evenly broad wings, and more direct, faster flight. Most eagles are larger than any other raptors apart from the vultures.
In Britain before 1678, Eagle referred specifically to the Golden Eagle, the other native species, the White-tailed Eagle, being known as the Ernee. The modern name "Golden Eagle" for Aquila chrysaetos was introduced by the naturalist John Ray.
Like all birds of prey, eagles have very large powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs and powerful talons. They also have extremely keen eyesight to enable them to spot potential prey from a very long distance. This keen eyesight is primarily contributed by their extremely large pupils which cause minimal diffraction (spreading) of the incoming light.
Eagles build their nest in tall trees or on high cliffs. Their nests, which are sometimes called eyries, can grow to 10 feet in diameter and weigh as much as 2000 pounds.
Eagles are sometimes used in falconry.
Taxonomy
For many years there has been some scientific debate as to whether the Accipitriformes are a separate order, or belong to the Falconiformes.
Major new research into eagle taxonomy 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 movedto Lophaetus or Ictinaetus.
- Bonelli's Eagle, Booted Eagle and African Hawk-eagle have been moved from Hieraaetus to Aquila.
- Greater Spotted Eagle, Aquila clanga and Lesser Spotted Eagle, Aquila pomarina should be moved either to join Long-crested Eagle,
Lophaetus occipitalis or, perhaps better, all three of these species should move to Ictinaetus with the Black Eagle, Ictinaetus malayensi.
- Steppe and Tawny Eagles, once thought to be conspecific (of, or belonging to, the same species), but are shown not even to be each other's nearest relatives.
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org
Index of Species:
African Hawk Eagles
Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Bateleur Eagles: Bateleur Eagles - Animal Facts ... whozoo.org
Black Eagles
Bonelli's Eagles
Booted Eagles
Crowned Eagles
Harpy Eagles
Imperial Eagles
Martial Eagles
Mountain Hawk Eagles: WhoZoo
Ornate Hawk-Eagle: Belize
Red-tailed Eagles
Sea Eagles
Tourist's Eagle aka Common Buzzard, European Buzzard, Tourist's Eagle (Buteo buteo)
Washington's Eagles
White-bellied Sea Eagles
Wedge-tailed Eagles aka Eaglehawks
Related Websites: America's Eagle Foundation .... Eagles at Black Water NWR ... Birds of Prey ... Majestic Flyers ... Eagle Clipart ... Accipitridae Hawks & Eagles
RECOMMENDED BOOKS: Bald Eagles (The Untamed World) ... Eagles (Endangered)
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