The stongest Talons? (1 Viewer)

[Strandman]

Just for the record: I'm not saying I don't believe a large Eagle Owl could tackle a sleeping Eagle, just that I have been unable to find any solid evidence for it (which of course isn't the same as saying it doesn't exist). The largest African Owl, Verreaux's E-O (Bubo lacteus), has been recorded taking Secretarybirds, meaning that a Martial Eagle may be within range. Still, it would be nice if anybody had a published source that confirmed this - there's just too much doubtful information floating around whenever people start discussing World records among animals.

I've seen published reference (probably an old BB) to a known example of Eagle Owl killing Greater Spotted Eagle in NE Poland- where they occur in close proximity in Biebrza marshes.

 

[tonerro]

i have read of martial eagles having enough power in their legs to break a man's arm

 

[Pugs]

I think Harpy has got to be up there, I read that the fish eagles are pretty weak, and on the other hand I've also been told that Eagle Owls are extremely powerful in the talons and can exert 500 lbs per square inch crushing power. They rely totally on crushing power rather than stabbing etc.

I've handled Eagle Owls and my god when they don't want to let go of the gauntlet you really really feel the power of them!

 

[nirofo]

Probably not the strongest, but may be the sharpest. I remember a good few years ago while ringing Merlin young in the nest, I passed a beautiful male to my colleage, he didn't quite get a full grip and the bird sunk it's talons into me, "OUCH" The talons went in between my thumb and forefinger and came out the other side. I had quite a job removing them, we had to distract the bird by offering it pieces of prey out of the nest, it eventually made a grab for the meat, releasing me at the same time. I was extremely wary after that when ringing Merlins!

nirofo.

 

[tonerro]

wow impressive~! I wonder if a eagle owl would even try and eat a harpy? (at night) (if the even lived in the same area that is) since these owls seem to eat almost ANYTHING (including eagles) :flowers:

how many eagles have actually been killed by owls?probably a fraction of that killed by eagles

 

[cayoncreekman]

The type of question asked can't really be answered definitively but makes for some interesting anecdotal stories. I've seen a Snowy Owl swoop over and stop a Arctic hare (they are big) cold in it's tracks. The owl must have pierced deeply while both animals are still in motion through to the spinal nerve.

One time I was holding a rough-legged hawk and the bird moved up my forearm to an exposed spot and he sunk a talon into me...instantly. The bird wasn't being aggressive but it was as if the bird made no effort but was simply flexing a tendon or muscle. It didn't hurt that much (at first) and the bird non-chalantly withdrew it's talon a few seconds later. Rough-legs are a buteo and not nearly as big as an eagle so I shiver to think what an eagle could do.

 

[Gus Horsley]

Probably not the strongest, but may be the sharpest. I remember a good few years ago while ringing Merlin young in the nest, I passed a beautiful male to my colleage, he didn't quite get a full grip and the bird sunk it's talons into me, "OUCH" The talons went in between my thumb and forefinger and came out the other side. I had quite a job removing them, we had to distract the bird by offering it pieces of prey out of the nest, it eventually made a grab for the meat, releasing me at the same time. I was extremely wary after that when ringing Merlins!

nirofo.

I had a similar experience years ago after picking up a sparrowhawk from the road which had been clobbered by the car in front of me. My wife drove and I held the bird in my hands, all floppy and seemingly on its last legs. Then it suddenly woke up and gave me an acupuncture session I'll never forget. Fortunately there was an RSPCA bird centre nearby and a hospital not much further.

Gus

 

[Capito]

Hello fellow birders,

I may be a little biased but I have to say that the Harpy Eagle is the strongest bird of prey in the world.

After recently spending about two weeks observing them both at the zoo and in the wild in the Darien, Panama, it is hard not to believe so. They can pick up and eat prey as big as they are, like howler monkeys and sloths.

I've heard that the Harpy Eagle talons can exert a force (psi) ten times greater than that of a Pit bull dog !

Their talons are the largest (http://www.boneclones.com/KO-024.htm) and some say bigger than grizzly bear claws.

Warm regards from Panama,
Guido

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[luke]

how about the african Crowned Eagle? they have known to attack children and have had human remains found in one eyrie!

 

[scuba0095]

luke OMG ur kidding

 

[luke]

or so i heard, it was mentioned on another forum.

 

[tonerro]

is it so hard to believe?

 

[tonerro]

exactly..martial eagles can take down impalas and monitor lizards

 

[Rasmus Boegh]

Here's a quote from HBW vol. 2, pp. 200, which pretty much sums it up. Martial Eagle; food and feeding:

"Mainly vertebrates weighing 1.5 kg, with large birds (e.g. gamebirds and wildfowl), monitor lizards, mammals (e.g. hares, hyraxes, mongooses and small antilopes) predominating prey in different habitats. Takes some small lifestock and chickens..."

So, while I am willing to believe that it might be able to take an infant (but how often are infants just left lying around in the bush?), but other than that, we're talking folklore. Likewise, any claims of *any* eagles taking adult Impalas are, shall we say, questionable (we're talking about an antilope where females weigh 40-45 kg, males 60-65!). I do not know how small the offspring of an Impala is, but that's pretty much the only realistic possibility.

 

[scuba0095]

YES it is so hard to believe and I will not believe it until i see proof. BTW for your information we are NOT talking about the matial eagle we are talking about the crowed eagle

 

[Beverlybaynes]

Well, in spite of the few mentions it has received, I'll certainly go with the Great Horned Owl -- from personal experience.

I was doing some flight training with a GHO prior to release following rehab. It was my first time handling one, so I was intimidated, to say the least!

The bird had flown the length of its line, I had braked it and brought it down to the ground. At that point, I had to catch it up so it could be flown again. Needless to say, you reach for the feet, because in handling GHOs, you do NOT want those feet to be free!

I got his feet in my gloved hands, but while bringing it up and turning it so that it's back was to my chest, my left hand slipped a tiny bit and the bird was able to grab my thumb with his talons. I am endlessly grateful that the gaunlets I was wearing were made of Kevlar.

Owls' feet are made like rachets, so I am told -- and I'm also told that the torque of their talons is comparable to that of an alligator bite. And I believe it! In a word: tremendous.

One of the other handlers attempted to pull his talons apart, but the bird refused to let go -- there's just no convincing a GHO to do what YOU want! After several minutes of trying this, and slightly shifting the bird to and fro in front of my chest, he released his grip enough that I was able to slip my thumb out of the glove thumb.

We were then able, somehow, to transfer the bird to the other handler. My thumb was bruised for several weeks, and ached for days.

Had it not been for the Kevlar, I cannot imagine what the damage would have -- a GHO talon through the thumbnail! Makes me cringe just to think of it.

So talk all you want about the various eagles -- I'll nominate the Great Horned Owl any day!

 

[Blubeak_2007]

"According to the Canadian raptor conservancy the great horned owl is the most powerful bird of prey pound for pound. IM SHOCKED none of you even suggested it since a lot of you seem to know so much"

Why be shocked. As I said before, it depends on the context in which the information is supplied and used.

"A Great Horned Owl may take prey 2 to 3 times heavier than itself."

It does not state that the G/H Owl actually can fly off with this prey, carrying this weight.

The wild animal known to have been killed and carried away by a bird was a 15 pound male red howler monkey killed by a Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) in Manu National Park, Peru in 1990. The Harpy Eagle is considered the world’s most powerful bird of prey, although it weighs only 20 pounds.


The consensus for the worlds strongest bird of prey is the Harpy, due to the fact that the above incident was witnessed. I have seen Ospreys killing fish 3 times + their weight, but the birds can do nothing with them except drag them to the shore. Then they are set about by every other bird there, due to their natural status. The Osprey killed the fish, but that was it. I have recovered Sea Trout killed by Ospreys on the Ythan, just to weigh them for comparative studies. (Ate them, the Sea Trout, that is, afterwards) As someone on this forum stated before to one of our younger members, the same data can be manipulated to form several opinions.

QUOTE]

I think there’s a recorded larger prey, one equally powerful Eagle that had brought a 14 kg deer to its nest studied by Kennedy in 1985 (Dr. Robert S. Kennedy of the Maria Mitchell Natural History Association) The Philippine Eagle as recorded prey items from a small 10 g Bat to a whooping 14 kg of deer… amazing that is 30.8 lbs.

(Excerpt from the book; Threatened birds of Asia –pgs. 14-15)


Threatened birds of Aisa Pithecophagajefferyi


Food: general considerations - The variety and size of prey items recorded (from 10 g bat to 14 kg deer) at a nest studied by Kennedy (1985; see below) suggest that Philippine Eagles are opportunistic feeders. This is supported by various general statements from earlier investigators: Wharton (1948) described them as feeding on almost all native mammals and some reptiles, often catching flying lemurs, while Grossman and Hamlet (1964), evidently based on J. Hamlet’s personal experience (see Kennedy 1977), reported that the eagle “feeds on monkeys... as well as hornbills, and also preys on small dogs, pigs and poultry in native villages” and that “pairs may specialize and bring up their young on an almost exclusive diet of any one of these items, depending on the location of the nest and whatever is most available and vulnerable”.

If these data is verified correct... I think this is (one of) the largest prey recorded to have been killed and carried away by a bird in the wild.


Regards,
Bluebeak

 

[maersk]

great horned owls are sometimes known to kill young deer.

 

[Markus Jais]

the Harpy Eagle has the largest talons. about twice as large as those of
a Golden Eagle. it also is the heaviest eagle in the world (at least the females) and has extremely big legs.

I do not know if there are any reports on the power of the talons of
the various large eagles, but the Harpy would definitely be among the top five.

Markus

 

[Blubeak_2007]

Yes, Harpy eagles has the largest talons up to 13 cm long about 5 inches with thick powerful legs however the Philippine eagle has a longer powerful legs 150 mm long compares to Harpy eagle's 121-125 mm long esp. females and massive claws that could almost encircles a human neck.
A documented prey of 14 kg deer, taking a large python, a mature female macaques-monkey carries-off in one leg in Cagayan, Luzon Phils. It's equally powerful as the Harpy eagle.

http://birdbase.hokkaido-ies.go.jp/rdb/rdb_en/pithjeff.pdf
http://www.haribon.org.ph/?q=node/view/117

The golden eagle is one of the most powerful raptors in the world, like the videos in youtube taking a young sheep and carry off to its nest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4irYqe5yjcE

They say pound per pound the African crowned eagle is the most powerful eagle in the world taking preys larger than of Martial eagle and Harpy eagle's prey.