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|subclass=Neornithes  

|subclass=Neornithes  

|infraclass=Neoaves

|infraclass=Neoaves

|superorder=Falconimorphae

|superorder=

|order=Falconiformes

|order=Accipitriformes

|suborder=Accipitres

|suborder=Accipitres

|infraorder=

|infraorder=

|families=

|families=

|family=Accipitridae

|family=Accipitridae

}}

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'''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.

'''Eagle''' refers to large diurnal birds of prey from the order Accipitriformes, family ''Accipitridae'', and characterized by resemblance to vultures when in flight, but bearing a fully-feathered head, large hooked beaks, robust body, and powerful talons capable of taking and killing live prey.  They also have extremely sharp vision, allowing them to locate and track prey from an extreme distance.  Because of their strength and majestic appearance, eagles have been prominently displayed as heraldic symbols of war and earthly power.

==Description==

==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 eagle]] (''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.   

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 eagle|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.

Eagles have eyes positioned in their heads 30 degrees from the facial midline, giving them a field of view of 340 degrees.  In eagles as large as 10 pounds, their eyes are as physically large as adult humans<ref>https://books.google.co.in/books?id=O5J8JK07QykC&pg=PA11&redir_esc=y&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false</ref>; unlike human eyes they are fixed in their sockets and do not rotate.  Within each eye are two regions of the retina called “foveas” which are specialized for acute eyesight: the shallow fovea – which points forward 15 degrees right or left of the head axis - and the deep fovea, which has higher acuity and points forward as well, but with 45 degrees relative of the head axis<ref>http://jeb.biologists.org/content/203/24/3745.long?utm_source=TrendMD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=J_Exp_Biol_TrendMD_0</ref>.  The end result is a light gathering power and magnification which gives eagles extremely keen eyesight - estimated to be four to eight times better than humans<ref>https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2015/02/03/eagle-eyes.aspx</ref> - enabling them to locate, discern, identify, and successfully kill an animal as small as a rabbit from a distance of two or more miles away<ref>https://allabouteyes.com/blog/best-eyes-animal-kingdom/</ref>. 

 

Eagles are found on all continents except Antarctica, 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.

==Use as symbols==

==Use as symbols==