 is after all a two-edged sword. All hawks seem to have this habit, from the smallest kestrel to the largest Ferruginous – but not the Eagles.
Among the eagles are some of the largest birds of prey: only the condors and some of the Old World vultures are markedly larger. It is regularly debated which should be considered the largest species of eagle. They could be measured variously in total length, body mass, or wingspan. Different lifestyle needs among various eagles result in variable measurements from species to species. For example, many forest-dwelling eagles, including the very large harpy and Philippine eagles, have relatively short wingspans, a feature necessary for being able to maneuver in quick, short bursts through dense forested habitats. Eagles in the genus Aquila, though found almost strictly in open country, are superlative soarers, and have relatively long wings for their size.
These lists of the top five eagles are based on weight, length, and wingspan, respectively. Unless otherwise noted by reference, the figures listed are the median reported for each measurement in the guide Raptors of the World in which only measurements that could be personally verified by the authors were listed.
|Rank||Common name||Scientific name||Body mass|
|1||Steller's sea eagle||Haliaeetus pelagicus||6.7 kilograms (15 lb)|
|2||Philippine eagle||Pithecophaga jefferyi||6.35 kg (14.0 lb)|
|3||Harpy eagle||Harpia harpyja||5.95 kg (13.1 lb)|
|4||White-tailed eagle||Haliaeetus albicilla||4.8 kg (11 lb)|
|5||Martial eagle||Polemaetus bellicosus||4.6 kg (10 lb)|
|Rank||Common name||Scientific name||Total length|
|1||Philippine eagle||Pithecophaga jefferyi||100 cm (3 ft 3 in)|
|2||Harpy eagle||Harpia harpyja||98.5 cm (3 ft 3 in)|
|3||Wedge-tailed eagle||Aquila audax||95.5 cm (3 ft 2 in)|
|4||Steller's sea eagle||Haliaeetus pelagicus||95 cm (3 ft 1 in)|
|5||Crowned eagle||Stephanoaetus coronatus||87.5 cm (2 ft 10 in)|
|Rank||Common name||Scientific name||Median wingspan|
|1||Philippine eagle||Pithecophaga jefferyi||220 cm (7 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 sna