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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Chosun Juan" data-source="post: 3357699" data-attributes="member: 92780">Mike that's most certainly a colourful!  (ahem)   |:$|   article!  and kudos to what must have been the 15 year old dude that wrote it!Some factual inaccuracies and embellishments but no doubt in my mind that these up to 15kg, 1.4m long beak to tail (so standing over about 1 - 1.1m tall - not 6ft or 1.8m), 2.6m+ wingspan flying weapons actually did predate us - whether it was the young, the small, the weak, the slow, the injured or just generally unwary!  Like all Eagles they would have been opportunist hunters, and ambush of those separated from the safety of the 'pack' or the young and daydreaming would be key hunting strategies  :eek!:The living Eagle shown for size comparison in the article is actually a Steller's Sea Eagle not a Golden, and like one of the other photos shown, I have had a 2.5m wingspan Wedgie hover a mere 20ft over the top of me as I rested on the top of a cliff -- scared the livin' bejayzus outta me I can tell ya!  :eek!:For more info on Goldies/Wedgies - see my post here:  <a href="http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=3334820&postcount=7" target="_blank">http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=3334820&postcount=7</a>Supposedly their closest living relative was our own Little Eagle (roughly 10x times less weight), and I certainly have seen them absolutely nail 1.8kg (4lb) buck rabbits with a single blow - a hind talon straight between the eyes and into the brain!   :gn:I think it probably helps us to visualise the capabilities and threat to us ('gulp'!) of Haast's Eagle by thinking of them as roughly 3x heavier, and larger African Crowned Eagles, or 1.5x heavier, and larger Harpy Eagles -- both known Primate Predators .....   *tremble*I think it is one of the saddest things in my life that these magnificent Apex Raptors no longer exist - but as someone who has experienced first hand (never again that's for bl**dy sure  :eek!: ) the sheer terror (stupidity!) of being in the position of a prey animal ( walking 'tour' on foot in jungle with tigers! No worries - solitary local guide armed with a stick, a deck of playing cards for 'call-break' and hash cookies! :hippy:  :bounce:   sheesh!! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />  I can well imagine the terror and Us or Them nature of coexistence with these beautiful but deadly creatures.  Analogous to early indigenous Australians and the Marsupial Lion - and there's none of them left either!        :-CSoz to say Dennis, but I'm only funnin' ya about the Haast's Eagle, though I wish they were still around to draw ..... (although if you did put it in as an incorrect answer I 'spose technically it does give me a better chance of winnin' iffin if I can ever figure out what the heck the bird really is! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />   o<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" />Chosun   :gh:</blockquote>

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