Question What is the biggest Eagle in the world (1 Viewer)

[rob stoff]

In terms of weight its probably this one

http://www.nilsreichelt.de/bilder/sonstiges/extra/eddie-the-eagle.jpg

though that may have limited flying ability

Rob

 

[zoltannemeth]

Like all eagles females are larger than male eagles and males are about 10 – 20% smaller. I posted these pictures of the eagles besides a man just to have an idea how big they can get, looks like the Philippine eagle can swallow a whole human ear in one gulp by the size of their beak but never the less here are some data from Haribon foundation, though some of these specimen are more or less 50 years old which might have shrink from the original size.

Note: They dont have the steller's sea eagle specimen.

Total Average Length (from tip of bill to tip of longest tail feather):
1. Haring Ibon (average) = 1021 mm or 1.021 meter (Philippine eagle)
2. Harpy Eagle (average) = 900.75 mm or 0.90075 meter
Complete data; http://www.haribon.org.ph/?q=node/view/117

Size comparison:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=R6jPaP1Fono

ATB
Blubeak_2007

Thats a great site...It also shows that the African Crowned Eagle (named Kenyan Eagle in the text) has longer talons than the Philippine Eagle.

 

[Blubeak_2007]

Thats a great site...It also shows that the African Crowned Eagle (named Kenyan Eagle in the text) has longer talons than the Philippine Eagle.

Yes but the Philippine eagle has the longest legs (tarsus) and claws averaging 145-150 mm compare to Harpy's 121-125 mm and kenyan eagle's 115-(120 mm...? ). perfectly designed for grabbing prey from a deep knot tree holes, and a very large dagger like bill plus the broadest wings capable of more powerful lift than any other eagles.

 

[m_zodiac]

Hi to all

I did some research of the body weights of the 3 big eagles

Here they are what Ive found:

for the Steller’s Sea Eagles, only Birds of the Soviet Union (G. P. Dementev & N. A. Gladkov) gives weight datas: 3 unsexed birds were 6800 g, 7501 g, 8970 g.

for the Philippine Eagles, Ive found the next datas:
2 males weighed 4041 g, 4650 g –datas from Handbook of Avian Body Masses (Duning), and Eagles, Hawks, and Falcons of the World (Amandon & Brown) respectivley.
The second edition of the Avian Body Masses handbook gives the avarage weight 4464 g for males , 6000 g for females .
From A Historical List of Monkey-eating or Philippine Eagles (Pithecophaga jefferyi Ogilvie-Grant, 1896) in Captivity Outside the Philippines (by Weigl & L. Jones): unsexed immatures 5000 g, 4100 g, 3800 g, 2 adult females 7200 g, 8000 g, 1 adult male 4500 g, unsexed adults 3900 g, 3600 g, 5000 g,

The following datas are from the internet:
1 juvenile female: 4800 g
source:http://www.bislig.gov.ph/content_links.php?submenu_id=187&menu_id=3&subcategory_id=8
1 adult male: 4500 g
source:http://www.oneocean.org/overseas/jan99/coastal_alert.html
1 unsexed 44 days old bird: 3550 g
source:http://www.bt.com.bn/en/life/2008/03/08/philippine_breeding_programme_brings_eagles_back_from_the_brink

the Harpy Eagle :
from Eagles, Hawks, and Falcons of the World (Amandon & Brown) 4 males were weighed: their average weight were 4400 g, range: 4000-4600 g
in the article Breeding Behaviour of the Harpy Eagle (by Neil L. Rettig), 1 juvenile male was weighed, 4032 g.
in the article Notes on the Harpy Eagle in British Guiana (Fowler & Cope), you can find this: 1 juvenile male 4819 g, 1 juvenile female 7541 g, 1 adult female 7598 g.
Foraging ecology of reintroduced captive-bred subadult Harpy Eagles (Harpia harpyja) on Barro Colorado Island, Panama (Touchton, Hsu & Palleroni) 1 sub-adult male 6000 g, 1 sub-adult female 8000 g.

So far, this is what I have.I keep it updated if I find something more.

Regards

M

 

[Blubeak_2007]

"I also knew that Haribon website already which somebody wrote about earlier,
but I have 2 problems with it.
• it uses very old museum speciemen (and they even froget to mention the steller eagle)
• they only include linear measurements"

Hi and welcome to Birdforum,

First of all they use this very old museum specimen maybe because these species are endangered especially the Philippine eagle and rarely you can find many eagle specie in one place to compare; they did not forget to mention the Steller’s sea eagle. Actually they don’t have Steller’s eagle specimen in the museum to compare.Only limited available specimen were used.
They only use linear measurements because they can no longer use the weight of the specimens for they are dry and lighter you cannot get the true weight of the specimen. If those specimens were alive probably they would appear bigger and longer.

I think it really depends on how you define the meaning of largest or biggest, biggest in size or dimensions or biggest in weight?
In zoology the heaviest is the largest and the basis use in determining the largest specie.

“Secretarybird. Its by far the tallest, the longest of the raptors, I guess it also has the biggest tarsus length, but no-one calls it the largest bird of prey.”

Although secretary bird is a bird of prey a member of the order Falconiformes, It doesn’t belong to the eagle family Accipitridae and has a separate genus it was given its own family, Sagittariidae and you cannot compare it with the eagles. So as the Gyps vultures. Some experts don’t consider the vultures as birds of prey they are more of scavengers and are closely related to stork.

ATB
Blubeak

 

[m_zodiac]

"I also knew that Haribon website already which somebody wrote about earlier,
but I have 2 problems with it.
• it uses very old museum speciemen (and they even froget to mention the steller eagle)
• they only include linear measurements"

Hi and welcome to Birdforum,

First of all they use this very old museum specimen maybe because these species are endangered especially the Philippine eagle and rarely you can find many eagle specie in one place to compare; they did not forget to mention the Steller’s sea eagle. Actually they don’t have Steller’s eagle specimen in the museum to compare.Only limited available specimen were used.
They only use linear measurements because they can no longer use the weight of the specimens for they are dry and lighter you cannot get the true weight of the specimen. If those specimens were alive probably they would appear bigger and longer.

I think it really depends on how you define the meaning of largest or biggest, biggest in size or dimensions or biggest in weight?
In zoology the heaviest is the largest and the basis use in determining the largest specie.

“Secretarybird. Its by far the tallest, the longest of the raptors, I guess it also has the biggest tarsus length, but no-one calls it the largest bird of prey.”

Although secretary bird is a bird of prey a member of the order Falconiformes, It doesn’t belong to the eagle family Accipitridae and has a separate genus it was given its own family, Sagittariidae and you cannot compare it with the eagles. So as the Gyps vultures. Some experts don’t consider the vultures as birds of prey they are more of scavengers.

ATB
Blubeak

I said the same. Just because they all have the english name "eagle", it doesnt mean they are particulalrly close to each other. I told about gyps species and buteos just to name a few raptor groups. i could use Aquila species or Hiraeetus as well. And vultures are still birds of prey....they just adapted in a different way. And I didnt talk about vultures. Just mentioned a group.

M

 

[Blubeak_2007]

I said the same. Just because they all have the english name "eagle", it doesnt mean they are particulalrly close to each other. I told about gyps species and buteos just to name a few raptor groups. i could use Aquila species or Hiraeetus as well. And vultures are still birds of prey....they just adapted in a different way. And I didnt talk about vultures. Just mentioned a group.

M

Exactly... We were talking about the eagles the big 3 in particular;
The Steller's sea eagle, Harpy eagle and the Philippine eagle.

regards,
Blubeak

 

[m_zodiac]

just for the sake of some people didnt like my whole post, I edited it.... No forbidden word like gyps, buteo, etc..anymore.

 

[Blubeak_2007]

just for the sake of some people didnt like my whole post, I edited it.... No forbidden word like gyps, buteo, etc..anymore.

Sorry! But nobody said it’s forbidden or forbidding you to post words like gyps vulture, buteo, etc.. It’s absolutely fine with me.

I only responded about your “secretary bird thing”. Prior to this, We were talking about the talons of the crowned eagle and Harpy eagles being longer than the Philippine eagle’s talons so I mentioned about the Tarsus and claws of the Philippine eagle being the longest among the eagles listed in the data (according from Haribon’s data) and you suddenly throw in the Secretary bird (which you've already edited) having the longest tarsus among the birds of prey and saying no one calls it the largest birds of prey? Which is way out of the discussion.

Your Quote:
“Secretarybird. Its by far the tallest, the longest of the raptors, I guess it also has the biggest tarsus length, but no-one calls it the largest bird of prey.”

Blubeak_2007

 

[wings]

First of all they use this very old museum specimen maybe because these species are endangered especially the Philippine eagle and rarely you can find many eagle specie in one place to compare
_________

I remember reading that most of the P. eagles are now found deep in the forests of Mindanao, having been driven away from other islands because of destruction to their habitat from timber harvesting.

 

[Blubeak_2007]

I remember reading that most of the P. eagles are now found deep in the forests of Mindanao, having been driven away from other islands because of destruction to their habitat from timber harvesting.

Sadly, the Philippine eagles are still losing their habitat--the forests, which they cannot live without.

All the fame and publicity has not spared the species from endangerment. Its population status remains precarious as recent estimates suggest that there may be 500 or fewer pairs of them left in the wild down from an estimated 6,000 individuals in the 1900's.

Barely three percent of the country's old growth forest remains, most of them threatened by expanding agriculture, illegal logging and mining.

Many eagles are also still being shot or trapped, either for food, out of despair over livestock allegedly lost to nesting eagles, or out of plain curiosity and ignorance.

In the face of deforestation and continued persecution, the future of the Philippine national bird remains bleak.

(Hunting and killing of Philippine Eagle is punishable under the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act (R.A. 9147) with penalties or fines ranging from P100,000 to P1,000,000 and imprisonment of a minimum of six years and one day to 12 years)

Blubeak_2007

 

[chris butterworth]

I havn't seen Philippine in the wild ( the old name of Monkey-eating Eagle - changed to Philippine by decree of Marcos, by the way) but all the photo's I've seen show a HUGE bird. Both Harpy and Steller's are massive but I think that Steller's is smaller, overall, than Harpy, difficult to really judge as they were in totally different habitats ( and both looked like the 'Mothership' out of close encounters! Blubeak, only the American 'vultures' are closely related to Storks, old world ones are specialised Accipteridae.
Chris

 

[Blubeak_2007]

I havn't seen Philippine in the wild ( the old name of Monkey-eating Eagle - changed to Philippine by decree of Marcos, by the way) but all the photo's I've seen show a HUGE bird. Both Harpy and Steller's are massive but I think that Steller's is smaller, overall, than Harpy, difficult to really judge as they were in totally different habitats ( and both looked like the 'Mothership' out of close encounters! Blubeak, only the American 'vultures' are closely related to Storks, old world ones are specialised Accipteridae.
Chris

Yes, thank you for the correction but the point is Vultures are more of scavengers than hunters they don’t fit to the true meaning of a raptor or birds of prey they are lacking the necessary tools to catch a live prey they don’t have strong legs, sharp long claws and powerful grip as eagles and falcon does.
Their legs were designed for walking like the chicken. That is why SOME experts don’t consider them as birds of prey.

Philippine (Monkey-eating) eagle also known as Agila or Aguila in tagalog, "Haring-ibon or haribon" meaning "bird king" and It was declared as a Philippine National symbol in 1995 replacing the small "maya bird" to increase awareness of the people especially filipinos to the plight of these magnificent bird.
A flagship project for conservation.

ATB
Bluebeak_2007

 

[Blubeak_2007]

Critically endangered Philippine eagle shot dead.

Sadly, the Philippine eagles are still losing their habitat--the forests, which they cannot live without.

All the fame and publicity has not spared the species from endangerment. Its population status remains precarious as recent estimates suggest that there may be 500 or fewer pairs of them left in the wild down from an estimated 6,000 individuals in the 1900's.

Barely three percent of the country's old growth forest remains, most of them threatened by expanding agriculture, illegal logging and mining.

Many eagles are also still being shot or trapped, either for food, out of despair over livestock allegedly lost to nesting eagles, or out of plain curiosity and ignorance.

In the face of deforestation and continued persecution, the future of the Philippine national bird remains bleak.

(Hunting and killing of Philippine Eagle is punishable under the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act (R.A. 9147) with penalties or fines ranging from P100,000 to P1,000,000 and imprisonment of a minimum of six years and one day to 12 years)

Blubeak_2007

Another setback for the conservation efforts of different organization such as the Philippine eagle foundation and its partner Peregrine fund after a newly released immature male Philippine eagle was shot and killed by a 22 year old Bukidnon vegetable farmer last July 10,2008.:C

Conservation workers on (July 13, 2008) -Sunday found the dismembered remains of the male eagle nicknamed "Kagsabua" in Mount Kitanglad Natural Park on southern Mindanao island, four months after it was released back to the wild following treatment for a gunshot wound in the back of the head.

Link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breaki...er-surrenders-admits-killing-Philippine-eagle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho1Zw4Cj9J0

 

[hilt_m]

I've seen Wedge-tailed Eagles plenty of times in the wild, they really are big, I was driving home once and couldn't get across a bridge because 3 Wedge-tailed Eagles were busy picking at the carcass of a kangaroo that had been run over, was an awesome site, i beeped my horn the eagles looked up at me then ignored me altogether, had to wait maybe 10 minutes until they decided it was time to leave.

 

[KorHaan]

I've seen Wedge-tailed Eagles plenty of times in the wild, they really are big, I was driving home once and couldn't get across a bridge because 3 Wedge-tailed Eagles were busy picking at the carcass of a kangaroo that had been run over, was an awesome site, i beeped my horn the eagles looked up at me then ignored me altogether, had to wait maybe 10 minutes until they decided it was time to leave.

From " Eagles, Hawks and Falcons of the World " by Leslie Brown & Dean Amadon ( 1968 ):

Aquila audax ( Wedge-tailed Eagle ): ... " Wing span 1,905 - 2,200
( 2,034 [43] ) = 6 feet 3 inches to 7 feet 3 inches ( average 6 feet 9 inches ).
Larger individuals with span up to 2,538 recorded ( 8 feet 3 inches ) and
reputed to reach 3,000 - 3,050 ( 10 feet to 10 feet 6 inches ) on doubtful
evidence. "



That's pretty big, indeed.

Best regards, Ronald

 

[wings]

There' been much previous dicsussion on this topic in this forum. To summarize: Harpy, Monkey-eating eagle and Steller's eagle, and not necessarily in that order. One can argue the "biggest" eagle in a number of categories, such as size, weight, talon strength, etc. I doubt if there's one eagle winning all these categorires.

 

[Unreal Predator]

this is pretty interesting, shows the relevant stats and shows the Philippine eagle as the largest "overall"..... check it out

 

[Unreal Predator]

http://www.lakbaypilipinas.com/philippine-eagle.html

helps if i'd put the link in the first one haha....

 

[Lmc3598]

hi rokermartin
i would say stellers sea eagle in photos ive seen they make golden eagles look tiny!