Eagle

From Conservapedia

Eagle
Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Subkingdom	Bilateria
Branch	Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass	Tetrapoda
Class	Aves
Sub-class	Neornithes
Infra-class	Neoaves
Order Information
Superorder	Passerimorphae
Order	Falconiformes
Infraorder	Falconides
Family Information
Family	Accipitridae
Population statistics

Eagle refers to large diurnal birds of prey from the order Falconiformes, family Accipitridae, and characterized by resemblance to vultures when in flight, but bearing fully-feathered heads and powerful talons capable of taking and killing live prey. Because of their strength and majestic appearance, eagles have been prominently displayed as heraldic symbols of war and earthly power.

Description

Eagles are found throughout the world, from the cold waters of the Arctic north to the tropical rain forests of Africa, Asia, and South America. They are monogamous, mating for life, and using the same nest every year, which is placed in an inaccessible site (called an eyrie), such as the top of a tree or a cliff face. The clutch of three to four eggs take six to eight weeks to hatch, but when hatched the young mature slowly, putting on their adult plumage in three to four years.

Eagles are typically two to three feet long and have wingspans from six to eight feet. The smallest eagle, Ayres' Hawk-eagle, (Hieraaetus ayresii), is only 16 inches long, while the largest eagles, the Harpy (Harpia harpyja), Steller's sea-eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), and the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) each approach 39 inches in length and weigh close to sixteen pounds. All eagles have keen eyesight; experiments conducted on golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) have determined that they are able to discern, identify, and successfully kill an animal as small as a rabbit from a minimum distance of a quarter-mile away.

Use as symbols

Eagles have been used as symbolds of government and imperial power since at least the time of the Babylonians. In stylized form they have been placed atop the standards of ancient Persia and Imperial Rome. A two-headed eagle was used as a coat of arms for the Byzantine Empire, than later as the standard for Czarist Russia and the Hapsburg Austrian Empire. An Aztec legend of an eagle clutching a snake while sitting on a cactus led to the founding of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, and later became the coat of arms for Mexico. The United States adopted the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) as its national emblem.

Species of eagle

Family Accipitridae

• Subfamily Buteoninae - true eagles, sea eagles, hawk-eagles
  • Genus Aquila

Bonelli's eagle, A. fasciata

Booted eagle, A. pennata - formerly Hieraaetus pennatus

Eastern imperial eagle, A. heliaca

Golden eagle, A. chrysaetos

Greater spotted eagle, A. clanga

Gurney's eagle, A. gurneyi

Indian spotted eagle, A. hastata

Lesser spotted eagle, A. pomarina

Little eagle, A. morphnoides

Spanish imperial eagle, A. adalberti

Steppe eagle, A. nipalensis

Tawny eagle, A. rapax

Verreaux's eagle, A. verreauxii

Wahlberg's eagle, A. wahlbergi

Wedge-tailed eagle, A. audax

• • Genus Geranoaetus

Black-chested buzzard eagle, Geranoaetus melanoleucus

• • Genus Haliaeetus

African fish eagle, H. vocifer

Bald eagle, H. leucocephalus

Madagascar fish eagle, H. vociferoides

Pallas's fish eagle, H. leucoryphus

Sanford's sea eagle, H. sanfordi

Steller's sea eagle, H. pelagicus

White-bellied sea eagle, H. leucogaster

White-tailed eagle, Haliaeetus albicilla

• • Genus Harpagornis (extinct)

Haast's eagle, Harpagornis moorei

• • Genus Harpia

Harpy eagle, Harpia harpyja

• • Genus Harpyhaliatus

Crowned solitary eagle, Harpyhaliaetus coronatus

Solitary eagle, H. solitarius

• • Genus Harpyopsis

New Guinea harpy eagle, Harpyopsis novaeguineae

• • Genus Hieraaetus

African hawk eagle, H. spilogaster

Ayre's hawk eagle, Hieraaetus ayresii

Rufous-bellied eagle, H. kienerii

• • Genus Ichthyophaga

Gray-headed fish eagle, I. ichthyaetus

Lesser fish eagle, Ichthyophaga humilis

• • Genus Ictinaetus

Black eagle, Ictinaetus malayensis

• • Genus Lophaetus

Long-crested eagle, Lophaetus occipitalis

• • Genus Morphnus

Crested eagle, Morphnus guianensis

• • Genus Oroaetus

Black-and-chestnut eagle, Oroaetus isidori

• • Genus Pithecophaga

Philippine eagle, Pithecophaga jefferyi

• • Genus Polemaetus

Martial eagle, Polemaetus bellicosus

• • Genus Spizaetus

Black hawk-eagle, S. tyrannus

Black-and-white hawk-eagle, S. melanoleucus

Blyth's Hawk-eagle, S. alboniger

Cassin's Hawk-eagle, Spizaetus africanus

Changeable hawk-eagle, S. cirrhatus

Javan hawk-eagle, S. bartelsi

Mountain hawk-eagle, S. nipalensis

Ornate hawk-eagle, S. ornatus

Philippine hawk-eagle, S. philippensis

Sulawesi hawk-eagle, S. lanceolatus

Wallace's hawk-eagle, S. nanus

• • Genus Stephanoaetus

African crowned eagle, Stephanoaetus coronatus

• Subfamily Circaetinae: snake-eagles
  • Genus Circaetus

Banded snake-eagle, C. cinerascens

• • Genus Eutriorchis

Madagascar serpent-eagle, Eutriorchis astur

Black-chested snake-eagle, C. pectoralis

Brown snake-eagle, C. cinereus

Fasciated snake-eagle, C. fasciolatus

Short-toed eagle, Circaetus gallicus

• • Genus Spilornis

Andaman serpent-eagle, S. elgini

Crested serpent-eagle, Spilornis cheela

Mountain serpent-eagle,S. kinabaluensis

Nicobar serpent-eagle, S. minimus

Philippine serpent-eagle, S. holospilus

Sulawesi serpent-eagle, S. rufipectus

• • Genus Terathopius

Bateleur, Terathopius ecaudatus