 ft 3 in)|
|2||White-tailed eagle||Haliaeetus albicilla||218.5 cm (7 ft 2 in)|
|3||Steller's sea eagle||Haliaeetus pelagicus||212.5 cm (7 ft 0 in)|
|4||Wedge-tailed eagle||Aquila audax||210 cm (6 ft 11 in)|
|5||Golden eagle||Aquila chrysaetos||207 cm (6 ft 9 in)|
|6||Martial eagle||Polemaetus bellicosus||206.5 cm (6 ft 9 in)|
- Nearctic (USA and Canada): golden eagle (also found in Palearctic), bald eagle
- Neotropical (Central and South America): Spizaetus (four species), solitary eagles (two spp.), harpy eagle, crested eagle, black-chested buzzard-eagle
The snake eagles are placed in the subfamily Circaetinae. The fish eagles, booted eagles, and harpy eagles have traditionally been placed in the subfamily Buteoninae together with the buzzard-hawks (buteonine hawks) and harriers. Some authors may treat these groups as tribes of the Buteoninae; Lerner & Mindell proposed separating the eagle groups into their own subfamilies of Accipitridae.
Sea eagles or fish eagles take fish as a large part of their diets, either fresh or as carrion.
Some authors include Gypohierax angolensis, the "vulturine fish eagle" (also called the palm-nut vulture) in this group. However, genetic analyses indicate it is related to a grouping of Neophron–Gypaetus–Eutriorchis (Egyptian vulture, bearded vulture (lammergeier), and Madagascan serpent eagle).
See comments under eagle species for changes to the composition of these genera.
Snake or serpent eagles are, as the name suggests, adapted to hunting reptiles. [The bird does not look like a snake or serpent]
- Subfamily Circaetinae. Genera: Circaetus, Spilornis, Dryotriorchis, Terathopius.
- Eutriorchis (subfamily Gypaetinae or Circaetinae).
Harpy eagles or "giant forest eagles" are large eagles that inhabit tropical forests. The group contains two to six species, depending on the author. Although these birds occupy similar niches, and have traditionally been grouped together, they are not all related: the solitary eagles are related to the black-hawks, and the Philippine eagle to the snake eagles.
- Harpy eagles (proposed subfamily Harpiinae)
- Philippine eagle
- Pithecophaga jefferyi, Philippine eagle ― Philippines.
- Solitary eagles
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 moved to Lophaetus or Ictinaetus.
- Bonelli's eagle and the African hawk-eagle have been moved from Hieraaetus to Aquila.
- Either the greater spotted eagle and lesser spotted eagle should move from Aquila to join the long-crested eagle in Lophaetus, or, perhaps better, all three of these species should move to Ictinaetus with the black eagle.
- The steppe eagle and tawny eagle, once thought to be conspecific, are not even each other's nearest relatives.
- Subfamily Buteoninae – hawks (buzzards), true eagles and seaeagles
- Genus Geranoaetus
- Black-chested buzzard-eagle, Geranoaetus melanoleucus
- Genus Harpyhaliaetus
- Genus Morphnus
- Crested eagle, Morphnus guianensis
- Genus Harpia
- Harpy eagle, Harpia harpyja
- Genus Pithecophaga
- Philippine eagle, Pithecophaga jefferyi
- Genus Harpyopsis
- Papuan eagle, Harpyopsis novaeguineae
- Genus Spizaetus
- Genus Nisaetus - previously included in Spizaetus
- Changeable or crested hawk-eagle, N. cirrhatus
- Flores hawk-eagle N. floris - earlier a subspecies, S. c. floris
- Sulawesi hawk-eagle, N. lanceolatus
- Mountain hawk-eagle, N. nipalensis
- Legge's hawk-eagle, Nisaetus kelaarti - previously a race of S. nipalensis
- Blyth's hawk-eagle, N. alboniger
- Javan hawk-eagle, N. bartelsi
- (Northern) Philippine hawk-eagle, N. philippensis
- Pinsker's hawk-eagle (Southern Philippine hawk-eagle), Nisaetus pinskeri - earlier S. philippensis pinskeri
- Wallace's hawk-eagle, N. nanus
- Changeable or crested hawk-eagle, N. cirrhatus
- Genus Lophaetus
- Long-crested eagle, Lophaetus occipitalis – possibly belongs in Ictinaetus
- Genus Stephanoaetus
- Genus Polemaetus
- Martial eagle, Polemaetu