Information And Facts About Eagles

What is an eagle?

The eagle is a type of large, heavy-beaked bird of prey with large legs. It belongs to the Accipitridae family, which follows the Accipitriformes order. It is a very powerful bird, as it is even stronger than the goshawk. Eagles were considered A symbol of war and power since the Babylonian era, the eagle has a head covered with feathers and strong feet equipped with large, curved claws. Eagles live mainly on live prey, and vultures are monogamous animals; That is, the bird has only one partner, and eagles use the same nest every year. They also tend to build their nests in hard-to-reach places, where they incubate a small group of eggs for a period ranging between 6 to 8 weeks, due to the slow growth of the young.

The original habitat of eagles

As is the case with hawks, different types of eagles live in almost every place on earth, with the exception of the harsh polar regions, as these birds live in the warmest tropical regions of the world, all the way to the frozen polar tundra regions. Eagles have the ability to adapt and live in a number of… different ecosystems; Including a variety of dry forests, rainforests, mountain forests, meadows, prairies, deserts, and many others, plus some species hunt in agricultural areas as well.

Distribution locations of eagles

Different types of eagles live in several regions, and the reason for this great spread is due to the presence of many different types of eagles, as it is almost impossible to find an area free of eagles except for Antarctica. Basically, these birds live in North America, Central America, and South America. Eurasia, Australia and surrounding islands, and Africa.

Eagles’ food

Eagles are a type of bird of prey, which means that they eat only meat, and do not eat any type of plant material. Eagles eat a variety of small animals, such as: Rats, mice, rabbits, squirrels, snakes, fish, lizards, birds, and other living creatures. Due to the very large size of these birds, they can hunt larger prey than any other type of bird. The most impressive examples are: It hunts deer, antelope, raccoon, kinkajou (a type of mammal), porcupine (a type of rodent), swans, and many other animals.

Eagles breeding

Eagles are monogamous animals that are satisfied with one pair, as they enjoy strong loyalty. Therefore, during the mating period, the pair tends to reuse the same nest year after year, as nests consisting of sticks, plants, and soft feathers are built by males and females together, and the location varies . Building an eagle’s nest depends on its type. Bald eagles, for example, build their nests most of the time in tall trees, while golden eagles prefer to build their nests in open areas. Eagles lay different numbers of eggs depending on their types, but many eagles lay between one egg and 3 eggs, and in rare cases some lay 4 eggs.

The sense of sight in eagles

The sense of sight is the strongest sense in eagles, as they have large eyes, and can occupy approximately 50% of the size of the head, and their weight can reach the same weight as the human eye, and the power of vision of eagles is 4-5 times better than the power of vision in humans. This is because the eyes of eagles are tilted at an angle of 30 degrees from the center of the face, which gives eagles a greater field of vision. Eagles can see 5 primary colors compared to 3 primary colors in humans, and they can detect ultraviolet light as well.

Types of vultures

Below are two prominent types of vultures:

Bald Eagles: Bald eagles are not actually bald, but the word “bald” here refers to an old English word meaning “white head.” Bald eagles leave their nests at the age of 10 to 13 weeks, and their color is mainly brown, then the eagle gets feathers. Its head and tail are completely white, its beak is yellow, and its eyes are between 4 and 5 years old.

Golden Eagles: The golden eagle is given this name due to the beautiful, colorful golden feathers on the back of its head and neck. They are one of the most common types of eagles. They are very strong birds, which are distinguished by their love of flying during stormy winds.

Eagles and the danger of extinction

Human activity is one of the things that poses a major threat to the lives of many species of vultures, and the most important of these activities is deforestation through cutting down trees for agriculture or urban spread, which leads to a decline in eagle numbers, in addition to human revenge on vultures for killing livestock. Therefore, many species of eagle suffer from the threat of extinction, including the Philippine eagle, the steppe eagle, the Madagascar eagle, and many others.