The Accipitridae family comprises various diurnal birds of prey, such as hawks and eagles, which are familiar to us. These birds display a broad spectrum of adaptations and occupy multiple ecological niches. Some well-known members of this family include hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, and Old-World vultures.
Our website will display all birds with the word “eagle” in their name. However, it’s important to note that “eagle” is not a precise scientific name. What one person considers an eagle, another may consider a hawk. Most people place the “solitary eagles” in the genus Buteogallus. That genus also contains species termed “hawks.”
This has led to the Buteogallus genus being split over two webpages; this one for eagles and another for hawks. Considering this, we will showcase 62 eagles belonging to the Family Accipitridae.
These magnificent, keen-eyed hunters are found worldwide, except for Antarctica and most oceanic islands. They live in diverse habitats and have a varied diet, including fish, mammals, birds, bats, invertebrates, carrion, and fruit. Accipitridae species build nests on cliffs, trees, or the ground and lay 1-9 eggs. They vary in size, with wingspans ranging from 50 cm to 3 m.
1. Genus Aquila
This group of birds, commonly called the “true eagles, ” are distinguished by their feathered legs extending down to their feet, long wings, curved beaks, and sharp talons. These majestic creatures are renowned for their exceptional vision, immense strength, and prowess when hunting large prey.
If the location of a specific species is questionable, an alternate genus is also listed. Some include all members of the genus Hieraaetus in Aquila.
1.1. African Hawk-Eagle (Aquila spilogaster)
Description: The African Hawk-Eagles are small-sized eagles. Adults have slate black caps, cheeks, lores, and down through their upper bodies. Their lower bodies are white with scattered, heavy black streaks. Their tails are long with greyish feathers and narrow black bars ending with a broad blackish band. The females are slightly larger, with heavier streaks on their lower bodies.
- Length – 55-62 cm.
- Weight – 1150-1750 g.
- Wingspan – 132-150 cm.
Similar to Bonelli’s Eagle. African Hawk-Eagles have darker upperparts and heavier streaking than Bonelli’s Eagles.
Habitat: African Hawk-Eagles inhabit well-wooded countryside, favoring tropical broadleaf woodland and woodland edge within the savanna. They tend to occur more in riparian zones, and Miombo and Mopane woodland may be central to their existence in southern Africa.
Conservation: African Hawk-Eagles have been listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.
Distribution: African Hawk-Eagles occur in sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegambia to NE South Africa, but they are scarce in Western Africa.
1.2. Bonelli’s Eagle (Aquila fasciata)
Description: Bonelli’s Eagles are a type of medium-sized birds of prey. Adult eagles have darker brown upper bodies with a brown head, nape, and neck. Their lower bodies are white and have heavy brown streaks. When in flight, they have a noticeable white patch on their backs. They also have elongated feathered legs and long tails. Their upper tails are grey, they have white under-tails with a single black terminal band, and they have yellow feet and eyes. Females are 10% larger than the males and exhibit darker streaks.
- Length – 55-74 cm.
- Weight – 1400-2240 g.
- Wingspan – 143-163 cm.
Habitat: Bonelli’s eagles are birds that like to live in rocky areas with cliffs, river valleys, and gorges. They are very good at hunting in these types of places. They usually live in areas with low bushes and scattered trees, but sometimes, they can inhabit places with more trees. The immatures and non-breeding also occur in agricultural arable land and other human-modified habitats.
Conservancy: Although Bonelli’s Eagles are classified as Least Concern (LC), their European populations are declining due to habitat destruction and electrocution from electricity pylons.
Distribution: Bonelli’s Eagles occur in southern Europe, Asia, and northwestern Africa.
1.3. Booted Eagle (Aquila pennata) also (Hieraaetus pennatus)
Description: Booted Eagles are small migratory eagles with two distinctive morphs: pale broad wing panels and pale upper tail coverts. Both have pale “landing lights” on the base of the leading edge of the wings. They have dark grey bills, yellow ceres, brown eyes, and yellow legs.
Light Morph: These birds’ crowns and hind necks are pale brown, streaked with darker brown, while the rest of their upper bodies are brown. Their lower bodies are mostly light grey, and their leggings are whitish.
Dark Morph: The upper bodies are the same as the lighter morph but with brown underparts streaked blackish. The leggings are buffy, and the undertail coverts are brown.
- Length – 42-51 cm.
- Weight – 510-770 g.
- Wingspan – 113-138 cm.
Habitat: Booted Eagles have breeding populations in many regions in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Birds of the areas of the north inhabit coniferous or deciduous woodlands and often trees. The Southern African species occur in mountainous terrain with cliffs, low bushes, and scrub.
Conservation: Booted Eagles are currently listed as Least Concern (LC) by IUCN.
Distribution: Northern bird populations are migratory, spending November to February in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. They mostly winter in Africa, south of the Sahara, and southern Asia, primarily in the Indian Subcontinent. On the other hand, southern African populations are sedentary.
1.4. Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle (Aquila africana)
Description: Cassin’s Eagles are among the smallest eagles in the Aquilla genus. They have small, round wings and long barred tails. Their upper bodies are black with spots and a brown tail. Their lower bodies are sometimes white with black batches. They have yellowish-brown eyes, pale yellow ceres, feet, and black bills.
- Length – 50-56 cm.
- Weight – 900-1200 g.
- Wingspan – 103-113 cm.
Habitat: Cassin’s Eagles are restricted mostly to lowland tropical evergreen forests but have entered plantations with large trees.
Conservation: Cassin’s Eagles are currently listed as Least Concern (LC) by IUCN.
Distribution: Cassin’s Eagles range from Sierra Leone and Liberia, east to western Uganda, and south to northern Angola. A few occur in Western Kenya.
1.5. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
Description: Golden Eagles are among the largest predatory birds widely recognized in the Northern Hemisphere. Their plumage ranges from black-brown to dark brown, while the back of their heads and crowns are yellow-brown, giving the bird its name. The upper part of their wings has a lighter area with an irregular shape.
- Length – 70-99 cm.
- Weight – 2850-6700 g.
- Wingspan – 190-225 cm.
Similar to Bald Eagles, Juvenile Bald Eagles have larger heads, more protruding heads, and larger bills than golden eagles.
Habitat: Golden Eagles inhabit various habitats, depending on their location. Most are found in mountainous regions but can also be found in lowlands if the habitats are favorable. These habitats include tundra, shrublands, grasslands, woodland-brushlands, and coniferous forests. However, the species also inhabits farmland and riparian habitats.
Conservation: Golden Eagles are currently listed as Least Concern (LC) by IUCN.
Distribution: Golden Eagles occur in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Hawaii.
1.6. Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga) (Clanga clanga)
Description: Greater Spotted Eagles are large migratory birds. They are uniformly dark brown and black but have spots on their feathers, hence the name. Although the sexes are alike, females are at least 20% larger and double the weight of males. Their bare parts and iris are dark brown, bills slate-black, and ceres and toes pale yellow.
- Length – 59-71 cm.
- Weight – 1800-2500 g.
- Wingspan – 155-180 cm.
Habitat: These birds inhabit lowland forests and forest edges near wet areas like meadows, marshes, and river valleys. During winter, they prefer wet habitats such as river deltas, mangroves, wetlands, and lake margins. They also inhabit semi-arid acacia savannah in Africa.
Conservation: Greater Spotted Eagles are Vulnerable due to deforestation and wetland drainage. Agricultural intensification and floodplain management abandonment have also decreased foraging habitat quality in Eastern Europe.
Distribution:
- Breeding Season: Greater Spotted Eagles are found in Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and mainland China, and in tiny numbers in Pakistan and northwest India.
- Wintering: Greater Spotted Eagles occur in small numbers across a vast range, including central and eastern Europe, North Africa, East
1.7. Gurney’s Eagle (Aquila gurneyi)
Description. Gurney’s Eagles have dark brown to black upperparts, light brown to white underparts, flight feathers, and long rounded tails.
- Length – 66-86 cm.
- Weight – male average 2100 g
- Wingspan – 165-185 cm.
Habitat: Gurney’s Eagles inhabit various forested habitats, including lowland and hill primary rainforest, swamp forest, forest edge, and adjacent grassland. They also venture into nearby clearings and cultivated areas.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Gurney’s Eagle as Near Threatened (NT) due to habitat loss and degradation primarily due to logging activities.
Distribution: Gurney’s Eagles occur in Australasia (New Guinea and nearby islands).
1.8. Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) and Eastern Imperial Eagle
Description: Imperial Eagles are large migratory eagles. They have mainly dark brown upperparts with white shoulder patches, light brown heads, necks, underparts, and heads. Their thick necks have a gold tinge, with a large grey bill, yellow ceres, and dark tips.
- Length – 72-84 cm.
- Weight – 2450-4530 g
- Wingspan – 180-215 cm.
Habitat: Imperial Eagles are adapted to a variety of habitats. They prefer breeding in open country with scattered trees or enclosed woodlands along the southern edge of the vast taiga forest and around or near wetlands. They also inhabit vast stretches of steppe.
Conservation: The IUCN lists Imperial Eagles as Vulnerable (VU). They are vulnerable to various threats, including habitat loss, prey shortages, nest robbing, shootings, poisoning, and vehicle collisions. They are also sensitive to human disturbances, which have restricted their breeding ranges in Central Europe.
Distribution:
- Breeding season: Imperial Eagles breed in multiple countries, including Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
- Wintering: Imperial Eagles winter in various regions across the Middle East, Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian Subcontinent, and Asia.
1.9. Indian Spotted Eagle (Aquila hastasta) and (Clanga hastasta)
Description: Indian Spotted Eagles are large birds of prey. They are uniformly brown with yellow legs and ceres and amber eyes.
- Length – 60-60 cm.
- Wingspan – average at 150 cm.
Similar to Lesser Spotted Eagle. The Indian Spotted Eagle has a lighter color than the Lesser Spotted Eagle.
Habitat: Indian Spotted Eagles inhabit various habitats, including agricultural landscapes, lowlands, tropical dry forests, and wooded urban parks.
Conservation. The IUCN has listed this species as Vulnerable (VU), mainly due to the conversion and disturbance of forested habitats within its range.
Distribution: Indian Spotted Eagles are native to Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, and Nepal.
1.10. Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) and (Clanga pomarina)
Description: Lesser Spotted Eagles are medium-sized eagles that migrate. They have mid-brown heads and necks that fade into a brown mantle and back. Their rumps are dark brown, and their upper tail coverts have a crescent shape tipped with a whitish color. The underparts of the eagles are mid-brown, and their bills are dark grey with a yellow cere and gape that extends to their yellow eyes. The eagles’ toes are yellow.
- Length – 55-67 cm.
- Weight – 1000-1400 g
- Wingspan – 146-168 cm.
Similar to:
- Greater Spotted Eagle. It can be difficult to differentiate between Lesser Spotted Eagles and Greater Spotted Eagles. The main difference is that Greater Spotted Eagles are slightly larger and do not have the white V at the base of the upper tails that Lesser Spotted Eagles have.
- Indian Spotted Eagle. Indian Spotted Eagles are a lighter color than the Lesser Spotted Eagles.
Habitat: Lesser Spotted Eagles inhabit open savanna or lightly wooded areas.
Conservation: Lesser Spotted Eagles are currently listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.
Distribution:
- Breeding: Eastern Europe from the Baltic Sea south to Greece and Turkey.
- Wintering: Eastern and southern Africa from Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and south to northeastern South Africa.
1.11. Spanish Eagle (Aquila adalberti)
Description: Spanish Eagles arevery large species of eagles. These bird species have blackish-brown bodies and broad wings with white leading edges. They also have yellowish-brown feathers on their nape and a blackish triangle-shaped patch on their forecrown. Their primaries and secondaries are blackish brown, while their tails are mottled grey with a wide black subterminal band and a thin, pale terminal band. Adults can be recognized individually by the pattern of white feathers on their shoulders, exhibiting eight plumage types. Their iris’ are brown with slight color variation, and their bills are light grey with yellow cere and darker tips.
- Length – 74-85 cm.
- Weight – 2500-3500 g
- Wingspan – 177-220 cm.
Habitat: During breeding, eagles are typically found in forests, while non-breeding eagles inhabit open areas with few trees.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed these species as vulnerable (VU) due to electrocution and intentional poisoning.
Distribution. Spanish Eagles mainly breed in Spain, with a small but increasing population in Portugal. Many young eagles are dispersing to Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and Western Sahara.
1.12. Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis)
Description: Steppe Eagles are medium to large robust migratory eagles. They have dark brown plumage all over their body with long, thick necks. Their wings are mainly blackish. The tails of these
The bills of steppe eagles are dark grey with a yellow cere and gape. They are finely barred and have brown and dark brown colors. One identifying feature of these eagles is that their gapes are long and extend past their yellow eyes. Steppe Eagles have shaggy brown leggings with yellow toes.
- Length – 60-81 cm.
- Weight – 2000-3500 g
- Wingspan – 165-214 cm.
Habitat: Steppe Eagles inhabit deserts, semi-deserts, open savannas, grasslands, open woodland, cultivated areas, and steppes.
Conservation. The IUCN has listed Steppe Eagles as Endangered (EN) due to the conversion of steppes to agricultural land, combined with direct persecution and adverse effects from power lines. They are highly vulnerable to the impacts of potential wind energy developments.
Distribution:
- Breeding: southeastern Russia, central Asia, eastern Kazakhstan, the Altai Mountains, Tibet, and northeastern China
- Wintering: the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian subcontinent, southern China, and Southeast Asia.
1.13. Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax)
Description: Tawny Eagles are a species of large eagles identified by their tawny color covering most of their bodies. They are thickset, have long necks, robust bills, and yellowish eyes. Additionally, they have relatively short wings with fairly pronounced “fingers” and a slightly rounded to almost square-ended and short tail. They do have several morphs.
- Length – 58-75 cm.
- Weight – 1600-3100 g
- Wingspan – 157-190 cm.
Similar to the Steppe Eagles, dark-morph Tawny Eagles can be confused with Steppe Eagles. Tawny Eagles have uniformly dark upperparts, while Steppe Eagles have darker wings than backs.
Habitat. Tawny eagles inhabit lightly wooded savannahs, absent from dense forests, highlands, and deserts. They also occur at times in artificial areas such as arable lands, roadsides, dams, and farmlands.
Conservation: IUCN lists tawny eagles as Vulnerable (VU) due to poisoning, changes in rainfall patterns, and collisions with power lines.
Distribution: Tawny Eagles are a widespread bird species. They come in various morphs, including lighter and darker ones and those in between. The lighter morphs occur in Morocco, Siberia, and Northern Kenya. The darker morphs arise in Pakistan and India. The in-between morphs occur in regions ranging from Congo, Kenya, and south to South Africa, Angola, and Namibia.
1.14. Verreaux’s Eagle (Aquila verreauxii)
Description: Verreaux’s Eagles are large birds of prey mostly found in Africa. They have jet-black feathers all over their bodies, a white “Y” pattern, and white rumps on their backs. When in flight, they have visible pale windows under their wings. They have stout bills, and their heads are prominent on their long necks. Their cere, gape, and lores are yellow, and their legs are shaggy with yellow toes.
- Length – 75-96 cm.
- Weight – 3000-4200 g
- Wingspan – 181-230 cm.
Habitat: Verreaux’s Eagles inhabit Mountains and rocky areas with cliffs.
Conservation: Verreaux’s Eagles are currently listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.
Distribution: Verreaux’s Eagles are found only in Africa. They are found in Eritrea and Ethiopia, extending throughout southern Africa, including Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa. They also occur in West Africa.
1.15. Wahlberg’s Eagle (Aquila wahlbergi)
Description: Wahlberg’s Eagles are medium-sized raptors. The head has a small crest, and the legs are yellow. The plumage tone is variable, with light and dark phases. A pale variant may be much lighter brown, with a whitish undertail and flight feather undersides. It’s less common than the darker variant.
- Length – 53-61 cm.
- Weight – 437-845 g
- Wingspan – 130-146 cm.
Habitat: Wahlberg’s Eagles inhabit well-wooded areas and tree savannas, avoiding desert and dense forests but using cultivated areas and thorn bushes, provided some forest is nearby.
Conservation: Wahlberg’s Eagles are currently listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.
Distribution: Wahlberg’s eagles range from central Chad to the northeast coast of South Africa, with Cameroon marking their western boundary.
1.16. Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax)
Description: Wedge-tailed Eagles are the largest eagles found in Australia. They are tall, charcoal-colored birds with a small head and massive bills. When young, they have a mid-brown color with slightly lighter, reddish-brown wings and heads. Their color becomes darker as they age, reaching a dark blackish-brown shade after about ten years. These eagles have long wings and long wedge-shaped tails, which can be seen clearly in flight. They are also known for their long wings and well-feathered legs.
- Length – 81-104 cm.
- Weight – 2025-4030 g
- Wingspan – 182-232 cm.
Habitat. In rough or remote countries, wedge-tailed Eagles typically inhabit open forests, woodlands, scrub, savanna, plains, and deserts. They avoid dense rainforests.
Conservation: They are currently listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.
Distribution: Wedge-tailed eagles are found throughout Australia (including Tasmania) and southern New Guinea.
2. Genus Beutogallus
This Genus refers to eagles and hawks, depending on their common name or species. They all occur in Central and South America. The Crowned Solitary Eagle and Black Solitary Eagle are closely related and have occasionally been classified under their genus, Harpyhaliaetus. Smaller members of Buteogallus are commonly called hawks. The solitary eagles primarily consume reptiles, while the smaller “hawks” tend to feed on crustaceans.
2.1. Crowned Solitary Eagle also Chaco Eagle (Buteogallus coronatus)
Description: Crowned Solitary Eagles are large raptors. They have dull grey and silvery plumage, including darker grey crests; they have a broad white medial band on their short black-and-white banded tail with white tips. Their cere and feet are yellow. They have an owl-like appearance that makes them crepuscular.
- Length – 73-79 cm.
- Weight – up to 3000 g
- Wingspan – 170-183 cm.
Habitat: Crowned Solitary Eagles inhabit lowland areas of the semi-open seasonal dry country, Chaco and Campo Cerrado, moderate-altitude hill ranges, caatinga, gallery forest, marsh, and buriti groves.
Conservation. The IUCN has listed Crowned Solitary Eagles as Endangered (EN). The main reasons for this are habitat destruction and hunting.
Distribution: Crowned Solitary Eagles occur in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina.
2.2. Solitary Eagle (Buteogallus solitarius)
Description: Solitary Eagles are large neotropical raptors with broad wings, short tails, and a broad white band in the center. They have slate-grey feathers overall, with paler grey upperparts. Their legs are bare, yellow, and very long. The bills are all dark, and the cere, gape, and legs are bright yellow.
- Length – 63-79 cm.
- Weight – up to 3000 g
- Wingspan – 152-188 cm.
Similar to the Common Black Hawk. Black Solitary Eagles are much larger and have broader wings than Common Black Hawks.
Habitat: Black Solitary Eagles inhabit humid, densely wooded foothills and other tropical and subtropical premontane and moist montane forests in steep and hilly woodland.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Black Solitary Eagles as Near Threatened (NT). The reasons are serious, which include deforestation, disturbances, and shootings.
Distribution: Black Solitary Eagles occur from western Mexico to extreme north-west Argentina, Nicaragua, Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia.
3. Genus Circaetus
Snake Eagles are mainly African raptors. Their diet consists primarily of snakes, but they also eat lizards and small mammals. They have a few things in common: Large square heads with large yellow eyes. Their legs are also naked, with robust scales to protect them from snake bites. The other common factor with snake eagles is that they always only lay one egg. They also have solitary lifestyles.
3.1. Black-chested Snake-Eagle (Circaetus pectoralis)
Description: Black-chested Snake-Eagles are large birds of prey. Their heads, chests, and upperparts are dark, while their underparts are unspotted white. They have grey, scaly legs and wide yellow eyes.
- Length – 63-68 cm.
- Weight – up to 1500 g
- Wingspan – 160-185 cm.
Habitat: Black-chested Snake-Eagles can be found in semi-deserts, desert edges, open grasslands, and closed deciduous woodlands.
Conservation. Black-chested Snake-Eagles are currently listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.
Distribution: Black-chested Snake-Eagles are found in a wide range from Ethiopia and Sudan in the north to South Africa in the south, as far west as the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo and southeastern Gabon.
3.2. Beaudouin’s Snake-Eagle (Circaetus beaudouini)
Description: Beaudouin’s Snake-Eagles are medium-sized eagles that migrate seasonally. They have dark grey-brown upperparts and wings with white bars. Their bellies and vents are contrasting white. The primary feathers of the eagle have black tips, and the underwing is white with black bars. The legs and ceres of the eagle are grey, and their eyes are bright yellow.
- Length – 60-66 cm.
- Wingspan – 155-170 cm.
Habitat: Beaudouin’s Snake-Eagles inhabit dry savannahs and open woodlands but prefer more open grasslands. They inhabit cultivated areas.
Conservation: Beaudouin’s Snake-Eagles are currently listed as Vulnerable (VN) by IUCN. This has been due to the increased human population, habitat destruction due to agriculture (which increases insecticides), woodcutting, and overgrazing.
Distribution: Beaudouin’s Snake-Eagles occupy a region of Africa that spans Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania, Sudan, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic.
3.3. Brown Snake-Eagle (Circaetus cinereus)
Description: Brown Snake-Eagles are the largest of all snake-eagles. They are brown with a small crest, wide yellow eyes, and grey scaly legs. Their tails are brown with narrow white barring and white tips. Their wings are all brown except for pale silvery grey flight feathers.
- Length – 68-75 cm.
- Weight – up to 1640 g
- Wingspan – 150-250 cm.
Habitat: Brown Snake-Eagles inhabit arid, open, and dense woodlands, often preferring areas where gulleys or wooded hillocks break up flat regions.
Conservation: Brown Snake-Eagles are currently listed as Least Concern (LC) by IUCN.
Distribution: Brown Snake-Eagles are found throughout Africa, from Mauritania and Senegal in the west to Sudan, Ethiopia, and southward through Angola, Zambia, and Malawi to South Africa.
3.4. Short-toed Snake-Eagle (Circaetus gallicus)
Description. Short-toed Snake-Eagles are migratory medium-sized birds. They have greyish-brown upperparts, off-white heads, white underparts with speckles and streaks, off-white under-wings with light barring, and an owl-shaped head.
- Length – 62-70 cm.
- Weight – 1200-2000 g
- Wingspan – 166-188 cm.
Habitat: Short-toed Snake-Eagles inhabit lowland forests, fields, wetlands, open woodlands, grasslands, cultivated areas, and deserts.
Conservation: Short-toed Snake-Eagles are currently listed as Least Concern (LC) by IUCN.
Distribution: Short-tailed Snake-Eagles occur in the following regions:
- Breeding: occurs in southwestern Europe, the northern edge of the Mediterranean basin, northwestern Africa, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Mongolia, Xinjiang Province in China, and the Sunda Islands. They are resident in the Middle and Far East.
- Non-breeding: sub-Saharan Africa, north of the equator.
3.5. Southern Banded Snake-Eagle (Circaetus fasciolatus)
Description: Southern Banded Snake-Eagles are coastal raptors with grey-brown upper parts, including their heads and bibs, whitish lower breasts, and bellies with barring. They have striking yellow eyes and feet that add to their unique appearance.
- Length – 55-60 cm.
- Weight – can weigh up to 1000 g
- Wingspan – averages 1250 cm.
Habitats. They live in evergreen forests near the coast and subcoastal areas, close to rivers, lakes, and swamps.
Conservation: The IUCN lists Southern Banded Snake-Eagles as Near Threatened (NT). Deforestation, loss of cultivated land and plantations in the north, and expansion of forestry, agriculture, and other human activities in the south have contributed to this.
Distribution: Southern Banded Snake-Eagles live in southern Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and northeastern South Africa. They are local migrants, with adults moving north during the southern winter.
3.6. Western Banded Snake-Eagle (Circaetus cinerascens)
Description: Western Banded Snake-Eagles have grey-brown feathers with white barring along the flanks, belly, and thighs. They have yellow eyes and legs. Their short under-tails are half-white, half-black with a white tip. There are white patches at the base of the primary feathers.
- Length – 50-58 cm.
- Weight – can weigh up to 1100 g
- Wingspan – 120-134 cm.
Habitats: They prefer woodland, forest edges, and wooded savannah near rivers but avoid dense forests.
Conservation: Western-banded Snake-Eagles are currently listed as Least Concern (LC) by IUCN.
Distribution. Western-banded Snake-Eagles occur in northern tropical Africa, ranging from Senegal to Ethiopia in the west and from Angola to Botswana in the south.
4. Genus Clanga
See above Greater Spotted Eagle, Indian Spotted Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle
5. Genus Dryotriorchis
5.1. Congo Serpent-Eagle (Dryotriorchis spectabilis)
Description: Congo Serpent-Eagles are the only species of eagle in this genus. They have brown upperparts and white underparts, with black spots on both. Their flanks also have black spots. Their heads are light brown with dark streaks across their cheeks and throats, and their eyes are yellow-brown.
- Length – 54-60 cm.
- Wingspan – 94-106 cm.
Habitat: Congo Serpent-Eagles live in dense primary lowland forests, often in the thickest parts of the understory.
Conservation: Congo Serpent-Eagles are currently listed as Least Concern (LC) by IUCN.
Distribution: Congo Serpent-Eagles occur across West and Central Africa, including Guinea, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Northwest Angola.
6. Genus Eutriorchis
6.1. Madagascar Serpent-Eagle (Eutriorchis astur)
Description: Madagascar Serpent-Eagles are medium-sized raptors. Their upperparts are dark grey, while their underparts are light grey with dark barring. They have long yellow legs, yellow eyes, and a short, broad bill that is dark in color. Additionally, their tails are long and barred.
- Length – 57-66 cm.
- Wingspan – 90-110 cm.
Habitat: Madagascar Serpent-Eagles inhabit lowland and mid-altitude primary rainforest and are hardly ever seen beyond the forest edge.
Conservation: The IUCN recently declared Madagascar Serpent-Eagles Endangered (EN)due to the diminishment of the forests through farming, logging, mining, and bushfires.
Distribution: Madagascar Serpent-Eagles are endemic to Madagascar.
7. Genus Haliaeetus
Fish eagles, also known as sea eagles, eat mainly fish and small mammals. Most have white tails. Their closest relatives are in the genus Ichthyophaga. They are probably closer to kites of the genus Milvus than the “true eagles” of the genus Aquila.
7.1. African Fish-Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer)
Description: African Fish-Eagles have chestnut backs, black wings, white heads, and chests. Their lower bodies and thighs are chestnut, and their legs and feet are yellow. Their bills and ceres are yellow.
- Length – 63-75 cm.
- Weight – 2000-2500 g
- Wingspan – average 200 cm.
Habitat: African Fish-Eagles are found in coastal estuaries and lagoons, but their habitat is usually rivers, lakes, dams, pans, or other places where there are stretches of water and trees where they can perch.
Conservation: African Fish-Eagles have been listed as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: African Fish-eagles range from western to southern sub-Saharan Africa.
7.2. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Description. Bald Eagles are large birds of prey mainly found in North America. They have primarily dark brown plumage, white heads, and slightly wedge-shaped tails. They have yellow bills and feet with short, very strong toes. Juveniles have all brown plumage.
- Length – 70-90 cm.
- Weight – 2500-6300 g
- Wingspan – 160-240 cm.
Similar to Golden Eagle. Juvenile Bald Eagles have larger heads, more protruding heads, and larger bills than Golden Eagles.
Habitat: Bald Eagles live near permanent sources of water that contain fish. They prefer trees or snags for perching, roosting, and nesting.
Conservation: Bald Eagles have recently been listed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.
Distribution: Bald Eagles occur in most of North America, including Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico.
7.3. Madagascar Fish-Eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides)
Description: Madagascar Fish-Eagles are medium-sized birds of prey among the rarest birds on earth. They have brown bodies and whitetails, light brown heads with white masks and throats, and a streak through their eyes.
- Length – 60-66 cm.
- Weight – 2200-2700 g
- Wingspan – 165-180 cm.
Habitat: Madagascar Fish-Eagles live near rocky coastal habitats, lakes, rivers, seashores, mangrove swamps, and wooded areas up to 90 km from shore.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed Madagascar Fish-Eagles as Critically Endangered (CR). Human activities like competition for fish stocks, persecution, accidental entanglement in fishing nets, and disturbance at breeding sites threaten the species. Local people also reportedly use eagle body parts in food and traditional medicine.
Distribution. Madagascar Fish-Eagles are endemic to Madagascar.
7.4. Pallas’s Fish-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus)
Description: Pallas’s Fish-Eagles are large birds of prey with dark brown upperparts, pale sandy faces, heads and necks, and brown undersides. They have a vulture-like posture when perching.
- Length – 72-85 cm.
- Weight – 2100-3700 g
- Wingspan – 180-215 cm.
Habitat: Palla’s Fish-Eagles inhabit areas near freshwater systems like lakes, marshes, and large rivers, in habitats similar to steppes.
Conservation: IUCN currently lists them as Endangered (EN). The main threats are habitat loss, degradation, and disturbance.
Distribution:
- Breeding: northern India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, with very small numbers in Bhutan.
- Non-breeding occurs north of the Himalayas and includes Kazakhstan, Russia, and Mongolia.
7.5. Sanford’s Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus sanfordi)
Description: Sanford’s Sea Eagles are as small as sea eagles go. They have dark brown to grey-black upperparts, a lighter brown head and neck, and brown to reddish brown underparts. Their wedge-shaped tails are black with pale tips. Their wings are long and pointed. Their eyes are brown, their beaks and ceres are grey, and their legs are white.
- Length – 70-90 cm.
- Weight – 1100-2700 g
- Wingspan – 165-185 cm.
Habitat: Sanford’s Sea Eagles can be found in various habitats, ranging from inland montane forests to coasts and shorelines. Although they prefer forested coasts, they may also hunt far inland and over deforested areas. Some individuals, particularly those on eastern islands, may live entirely inland.
Conservation: IUCN has listed Sanford’s Sea-Eagles as Vulnerable (VN) due to forest degradation from industrial-scale logging, agriculture, and traditional gardening.
Distribution: Sanford’s Sea-Eagles occur in the Solomon Islands, including Bougainville and Buka Islands.
7.6. Steller’s Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus)
Description: Steller’s Sea-Eagles are very large, mainly dark brown eagles with white wings and tails, a large yellow beak, and yellow talons. They are also the heaviest eagles in the world and have thick white leggings.
- Length – 85-105 cm.
- Weight – 4900-6000 g
- Wingspan – 195-230 cm
Habitat: Steller’s Sea-Eagles inhabit coastal habitats and are found inland near larger rivers and lakes, mostly on lower stretches or lakes with mature trees. They also occur on sea ice.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed Steller’s Eagle as Vulnerable (VU) because of industrial pollution of rivers, habitat alteration, and timber logging.
Distribution:
- Breeding: they breed in Eastern Russia, including the northern Kuril Islands, the Bering Sea coast, the Kamchatka Peninsula, and Sakhalin Island.
- Non-breeding: they winter in the southern Kuril Islands, Hokkaido, the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Korea, the Bohai Gulf, and China.
7.7. White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)
Description: White-bellied Sea-Eagles are large birds of prey. They have grey upperparts with white heads, necks, underwing coverts, thighs, and underparts. Their white tails are wedge-shaped. They have short, unfeathered legs.
- Length – 70-85 cm.
- Weight – 1800-2900 g
- Wingspan – 180-220 cm.
Habitat: White-bellied Sea-Eagles inhabit various habitats, including coastal areas, estuaries, lakes, rivers, swamps, grasslands, woodlands, rainforests, and urban regions.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the White-bellied Sea-Eagles as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: White-bellied Sea-Eagles inhabit India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, southern China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Tasmania.
7.8. White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)
Description: White-tailed Eagles are one of the largest living birds of prey. They have mainly brown plumage, bold white tails, yellow eyes, and bills. Juveniles have darker bills.
- Length – 66-94 cm.
- Weight – 3100-5400 g
- Wingspan – 193-244 cm.
Habitat: White-tailed Eagles inhabit a variety of locations but are frequently found near bodies of water and in low-lying areas. They inhabit estuaries, coastal marshes, cliffs, islands, and archipelagos, forests, ideally with tall trees, grasslands, tundra, taiga, lakes, and wetlands.
Conservation: White-tailed Eagles are listed as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution:
- Breeding: White-Tailed Eagles are widely distributed across northern and central Eurasia, south to Greece and Turkey, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia; their range extends to southern Greenland, Iceland, and the reintroduced populations in some areas of the UK.
- Non-breeding: they spend the winter in southern Europe, the Mediterranean, Israel, the Persian Gulf, Pakistan, Korea, Japan, northern India, northern Myanmar, and southeast China.
8. Genus Harpia
There is only one species in this Genus.
8.1. Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja)
Description: Harpy Eagles are the largest and most powerful eagles found in the Americas. They have slate-black upperparts and upper breasts. Their heads are grey with a double crest, and their lower breasts and bellies are white. Their bills and cere are blackish.
- Length – 89-102 cm.
- Weight – 4000-4800 g
- Wingspan – 176-224 cm.
Similar to the Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle. Harpy Eagles are much larger than Black-chested Buzzard-Eagles. Crested Buzzard-Eagles have yellow bills; Harpy Eagles have blackish bills.
Habitat: Harpy Eagles live in tropical and subtropical forests, including selectively logged and second-growth forests with large trees.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed harpy eagles as Vulnerable (VU) because of forest loss and degradation, hunting, poaching, and collisions with powerlines.
Distribution: Harpy Eagles have a vast range that extends from southern Mexico and Central America to Colombia and Venezuela and down through eastern Bolivia, Brazil, northeastern Argentina, and Paraguay.
9. Genus Harpyopsis
There is only one species in this Genus.
9.1. New Guinea Eagle or Papuan Eagle (Harpyopsis novaeguineae)
Description: New Guinea Eagles are large birds of prey. They have grey upperparts with whitish underparts, brown-spotted throats, and chests. Their tails have four to five black bars, a thick subterminal band, and a white tip.
- Length – 79-90 cm.
- Weight – 1600-2400 g
- Wingspan – 157-200 cm.
Habitat: New Guinea Eagles like to inhabit undisturbed tropical rainforests. They also inhabit primary, gallery, and montane forests. They are also seen in dry woodlands and open areas.
Conservation: IUCN has listed New Guinea Eagles as Vulnerable (VU), mainly due to habitat loss and hunting.
Distribution: New Guinea Eagles are endemic to the island of New Guinea.
10. Genus Hieraaetus
Genus Hieraaetus is also known as small eagles or hawk-eagles; they are all medium-sized eagles. Some include all members of the genus Hieraaetus in Aquila.
10.1. Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle (Hieraaetus ayresii)
Description. Ayres’s Hawk-Eagles have brown upperparts and white underparts with black streaks. Their under-wings are light brown with barring and dark outer primaries. Their tails are ashy grey with three to four narrower dark bars and a broad black tip.
- Length – 44-57 cm.
- Weight – 615-714 g
- Wingspan – 106-137 cm.
Habitat: Ayre’s Hawk-eagles inhabit dense deciduous woodland and forest edges, often in hilly and rugged terrain.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Ayre’s Hawk-eagles occur in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Congo, Angola, Ethiopia, Somalia, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
10.2. Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides)
Description: Little Eagles come in two morphs – pale and dark. Pale morphs have brown upperparts and red-brown heads. Their underparts are whitish with mottling and black barring on their underwings. They have a grey band across their wing coverts and scapular feathers. On the other hand, dark morphs have darker heads and underparts. Both morphs have barred tails, crests, and black streaks on their heads.
- Length – 44-55 cm.
- Weight – 440-815 g
- Wingspan – 100-136 cm
Habitat: Little Eagles prefer open habitats such as woodlands, grasslands, arid regions, and scrubs in hilly areas, but they avoid dense forests.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed Little Eagles as Least Concern (LC),
Distribution: Little Eagles occur in Australia and New Guinea.
10.3. Pygmy Eagle (Hieraaetus weiski)
Description: Pygmy Eagles are a species of small eagles, and they come in two different morph forms: pale morphs and dark morphs. Pale morphs have white underwing coverts, and their undersides are white with heavy brown streaks. On the other hand, dark morphs have brown underwing coverts and rufous undersides, also with dark brown markings. The cheeks, crowns, and napes are brown-streaked in both morph forms, and the tail has 7-8 black bars.
- Length – 38-48 cm.
- Weight – Average at 483 g
- Wingspan – 112-126 cm
Habitat: Pygmy Eagles primarily reside in lowland rainforests, monsoon forests, and forest edges.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Pygmy Eagles as the Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Pygmy Eagles are native to the islands of New Guinea and the Moluccas, which are located in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
11. Genus Ichthyophaga
These fish eagles are closely related to the “sea eagles” of the genus Haliaeetus.
11.1. Grey-headed Fish-Eagle (Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus)
Description: Grey-headed Fish-Eagles have brown-grey upper bodies and white underbodies. Their heads are grey. Their tails are white with black terminal bands. Their underwing coverts are grey-brown.
They have short, unfeathered grey legs. Their eyes are yellow-brown, and the cere is dark grey-brown.
- Length – 61-75 cm.
- Weight – Average at 1600 g
- Wingspan – 155-170 cm
Similar to Lesser Fish-Eagles. Grey-headed Fish-Eagles are larger than Lesser Fish-Eagles. Grey-headed Fish-Eagles have a bold black terminal band on their tails; Lesser Fish-Eagles have an indistinct band on white-tipped tails.
Habitat: Grey-Headed Fish-Eagles inhabit lowland forests near bodies of water such as rivers, streams, lakes, lagoons, reservoirs, marshes, swamps, coastal lagoons, and estuaries.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Grey-Headed Fish eagles as Near Threatened (NT) due to habitat degradation, pollution, and overfishing.
Distribution: Grey-Headed Fish Eagles occur from India to southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Sulawesi.
11.2. Lesser Fish-Eagle (Ichthyophaga humilis)
Description. Lesser Fish-Eagles are medium-sized birds of prey that typically have a grey-brown color. They have broad and blunt wings and coarse, light-coloured, featherless legs. White thighs and bellies complement their brown breasts. Their tails are small and rounded and have white mottling at the base. The center of their tails is brown, with indistinct subterminal bands on them.
- Weight – 780-785 g
- Wingspan – average 120 cm
Similar to Grey-headed Fish-Eagles. Grey-headed Fish-Eagles are larger than Lesser Fish-Eagles. Grey-headed Fish-Eagles have bold black terminal bands on their tails; Lesser Fish-Eagles have indistinct bands on white-tipped tails.
Habitat: Lesser Fish-Eagles inhabit the forested margins of fast-flowing rivers and occur in open areas around lakes, dams, and swamps.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed Lesser Fish-eagles as Near Threatened (NT) because of forest degradation, over-fishing, and pollution.
Distribution: Lesser Fish-Eagles are widespread throughout Asia; they occur in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia.
12. Genus Ictinaetus
There is only one species in this Genus.
12.1. Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malayensis)
Description: Black Eagles are kite-like, largish eagles. Their plumage is mostly brownish-black with blacked-tipped yellow bills, ceres, and feet. Their tails have faint barring, and the upper tail covers are paler. Note: Verreaux’s Eagle are sometimes called “Black Eagles,” but those birds inhabit Africa.
- Length – 65-80 cm.
- Weight – 1000-1600 g
- Wingspan – 148-182 cm.
Habitat: Black Eagles are in evergreen forests with good forest cover and oak woodlands. They inhabit tea plantations.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Black Eagle as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Black Eagles range from India to Southeast Asia and the Malay Peninsula, including Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, and the Maluku Islands of Buru.
13. Genus Lophaetus
There is only one species in this Genus.
13.1. Long-crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis)
Description Long-crested Eagles are small to medium-sized eagles with glossy black-purple to warm brown feathers covering their heads and body. They have elongated feathers at the back of their heads that form a long, floppy crest. Their brown wings feature a noticeable white patch on both the upper and lower sides. Their tails are black and barred with pale grey. Long-crested Eagles have yellow eyes, and their feet and ceres (the fleshy covering at the base of the beak) are also yellow.
- Length – 53-58 cm.
- Weight – 900-1200 g
- Wingspan – 112-129 cm.
Habitat: Long-crested Eagles inhabit damp woodland areas near grasslands, marshes, or rivers. They can also be found close to farmlands and the edges of sugar cane plantations.
Conservancy: The IUCN has listed the Long-crested as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Long-Crested Eagles occur from Senegambia to Ethiopia, northern Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa.
14. Genus Lophotriorchis
There is only one species in this Genus.
14.1. Rufous-bellied Eagle (Lophotriorchis kienerii)
Description: Rufous-bellied Eagles are small aerial eagles with dark hoods, white throats, and light rufous bellies. Their legs are also rufous, and their eyes are red-brown. They have brown square tails, barred under tails and wings, and feathered legs.
- Length – 46-61 cm.
- Weight – on average, 732 g.
- Wingspan – 105-140 cm.
Habitat: They are mainly found in moist, evergreen, deciduous, mixed, disturbed forests, hills, forest edges, and sometimes open areas.
Conservation: The Rufous-bellied Eagles have been listed as Near Threatened (NT) by the IUCN due to ongoing deforestation in their range.
Distribution: They are found in a range that extends from India and Sri Lanka in the west, Nepal and southern China in the north, over Myanmar and the Malay Peninsula, to insular Indonesia and the Philippines.
15. Genus Morphnus
15.1. Crested Eagle (Morphnus guianensis)
Description: Crested Eagles are a species of large birds of prey that come in two different morphs: pale and dark. They have a blackish appearance above and are pale below. Their most notable feature is a single pointed crest on their head. The dark morph has a blackish head and dark barring below, while the pale morph is more common and has a grey head and reddish barring below. In some cases, Crested Eagles have been observed entirely black except for grey tips along the wings and slight barring on the undersides.
- Length – 71-84 cm.
- Weight – 1750-3000 g.
- Wingspan – 138-176 cm.
Habitat. Crested Eagles are found in humid lowland and subtropical forests, primarily consisting of old-growth tropical rainforests, and occur in gallery strips and forest ravines south of their range.
Conservation: Crested Eagles have been listed as Near Threatened (NT) by IUCN due to habitat loss.
Distribution: Crested Eagles occur across southern Mexico, northern Argentina, and Central and South America.
16. Genus Nisaetus
Known as the crested hawk-eagle group, crested hawk-eagles are found mainly in tropical Asia. They are medium-sized hawk-eagles with long, feathered legs.
16.1. Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus pinskeri)
Description: Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagles have dark brown coloration on their upper bodies and are whitish below. Their heads and chests have streaks, and their lower bellies are finely barred. They have long black crests and chin stripes. Their underwing feathers are barred and have fairly long tails with dark terminal bands. Their feet are yellow, and their bills and ceres are black. The eyes of the Pinsker’s Kawk-Eagles are bright-chrome-yellow.
- Length – 54-61 cm.
- Weight – average 1200 g.
- Wingspan – 100-200 cm.
Habitat: Pinsker’s Eagles inhabit mature forests in the lowlands and lower mountain slopes and occasionally frequent open areas.
Conservation: The Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagle has been listed as Endangered (EN) by the IUCN owing to lowland forest loss, exacerbated by hunting and trade.
Distribution: Pinsker’s Eagles are endemic to the Philippines.
16.2. Blyth’s Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus alboniger)
Description: Blyth’s Hawk-Eagles are small eagles with dark upper bodies, white underbodies with large dark spots, and white barred bellies with prominent crests. Their tails are long and have a wide white band on the upper and lower sides.
- Length – 50-60 cm.
- Weight – average 830 g.
- Wingspan – 56-70 cm.
Habitat: Blyth’s Hawk-Eagles live in tropical areas with primary montane evergreen and hilly forests.
Conservation: Blyth’s Hawk-Eagle has been listed as Least Concern (LC) by IUCN.
Distribution: Blyth’s Hawk-Eagles occur in southern Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo.
16.3. Changeable Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus)
Description: Changeable Hawk-Eagles are large eagles with varying morphs. The dark morph Changeable Hawk-Eagles have mostly brown plumage, large crests of about four feathers, and brown breasts with white streaks. The light morph Changeable Hawk-Eagles are similar but have a light head and whitish underparts.
- Length – 51-82 cm.
- Weight – 1300-1900 g.
- Wingspan – 100-160 cm.
Habitat: Changeable Hawk-Eagles occur in various habitats, including deciduous and evergreen forests, savannah woodlands, timbered watercourses, tea and teak plantations, and even on the suburban edge.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Changeable Hawk-Eagle as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Changeable Hawk-Eagles occur in India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and parts of the Philippines, including islands such as the Andamans, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo.
16.4. Flores Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus floris)
Description: Flores Hawk-Eagle have dark brown feathers on their upperparts, white underparts, and a white head with fine brownish streaks on the crown. They also have white patches on their wings during flight, brown tails with six bars, and sparse light and dark markings on their thighs.
- Length – 75-80 cm.
- Weight – Average 2000 g.
Habitat: Flores Hawk-Eagles mostly occur in lowland and somewhat montane tropical forests. They fly low over the side of the hills and in cultivated areas.
Conservation: Flores Hawk-Eagles has been listed as Critically Endangered (CR) by the IUCN owing to ongoing deforestation and slash-and-burn agriculture.
Distribution: They live on the Lesser Sunda Islands of Flores, Sumbawa, and Lombok.
16.5. Javan Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi)
Description: Javan Hawk-Eagles are medium-sized birds of prey with dark brown feathers on their upper body, a rufous head and neck, and white underparts with rufous mottling. Their throats are off-white with a thin black stripe, while their undertails are light grey with four bars, with the terminal bar being the boldest. They have yellow feet and eyes and dark ceres and bills.
- Length – 56-60 cm.
- Wingspan – 110-130 cm.
Habitat: Javan Hawk-Eagles occur in the humid tropical forests of Java.
Conservation: Javan Hawk-Eagles have been listed as Endangered (EN) by the IUCN because of habitat loss and trade.
Distribution: Javan Hawk-Eagles are endemic to Java.
16.6. Legge’s Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus kilaarti)
Description: Legge’s Hawk-Eagles are also considered a subspecies of the Mountain Hawk-Eagles. They have brown upperparts with pale underparts with brown barring on the underside of their broad wings and tails, which can be seen in flight. Their breasts and bellies are heavily streaked. The under-wing coverts are unstreaked buff colored. Legge’s Hawk-Eagle is also considered a subspecies of the Mountain Hawk-Eagle.
- Length – 66-84 cm.
- Weight – 2300-2700 g.
- Wingspan – 134-175 cm.
Habitat: Legge’s Hawk-Eagles inhabit dense foothills and montane evergreen and mixed deciduous forests.
Conservation: Legge’s Hawk-Eagles are listed as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Legge’s Hawk-Eagles occupy the Indian subcontinent, from southern India to Sri Lanka.
16.7. Mountain Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus nipalensis)
Description: Mountain Hawk-Eagles are medium-sized eagles with mottled dark brown upperparts and dark brown underparts with white barring on their underwings. They also have brown and white bars on their tails and crest feathers of variable length.
- Length – 69-84 cm.
- Weight – 2300-2700 g.
- Wingspan – 134-175 cm.
Habitat: Mountain Hawk-Eagles inhabit mixed deciduous and mature montane forests with open understorey and large trees for nesting.
Conservation: The IUCN listed the Mountain Hawk-eagle as Near Threatened (NT) due to deforestation caused by agriculture, infrastructure development, and the harvesting of forest products.
Distribution: Mountain Hawk-Eagles occur in the northeast regions of Pakistan and the Himalayas of India, Nepal, and eastern Bhutan. They can also occur in China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Japan.
16.8. Philippine Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus phillippensis)
Description: Philippine Hawk Eagles have dark brown upper bodies with long crests of 4-5 black feathers. Their heads are streaked with black, and their throats are white with black stripes. Their underparts are rufous with black streaks, and their legs are finely barred black and white. Their eyes and legs are yellow, and their beaks are dark grey and hooked. Their tails are square-shaped with 4-5 black bars and a black subterminal band. Their underwings are barred.
- Length – 50-63 cm.
- Weight – 1100-1200 g.
- Wingspan – 105-125 cm.
Habitat: Philippine Hawk-eagles inhabit primary and secondary forests in lowlands and foothills, occasionally venturing into clearings and cultivations.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed Philippine hawk eagles as Endangered (EN) due to deforestation caused by agriculture.
Distribution: Philippine Hawk-eagles are endemic to Luzon Island in the Philippines.
16.9. Sulawesi Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus lanceolatus)
Description: Sulawesi Hawk-Eagles are medium-sized crestless eagles. They have dark brown upperparts, boldly marked rufous-brown heads, and breasts with white bellies with dark barring. Their tails are grey to brown-grey with three or four black bars. Juveniles have brown upperparts, a white head, and underparts with some brown streaks/spots.
- Length – 46-54 cm.
- Weight – 1100-1200 g.
- Wingspan – 105-120 cm.
Habitat: Sulawesi Hawk-Eagles live in primary, montane, and old secondary forests with open cultivated areas.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Sulawesi Hawk-Eagle as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Sulawesi hawk-eagles occur in the rainforests of Sulawesi and its satellite islands, including Buton, Muna, Banggai, and Sula Islands.
16.10. Wallace’s Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus nanus)
Description: Wallace’s Hawk-Eagles are the world’s smallest of all the hawk-eagles. They have dark upper bodies with cream-coloured lower bodies with black streaking. They have rufous-buff heads with black, buff-tipped crests. Their throats are white with black malar and median stripes. Their bills and ceres are dark, and they have yellow feet.
- Length – 43-58 cm.
- Weight – 500-610 g.
- Wingspan – 95-105 cm.
Habitat: Wallace’s Hawk-Eagles inhabit evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, including peat swamps, riverine forests, and disturbed areas.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed Wallace’s Hawk-Eagles as vulnerable (VU) due to the loss, degradation, and fragmentation of lowland rainforests caused by large-scale commercial logging.
Distribution: Wallace’s Hawk-eagles occur in ranges spanning southeast Asia, in Myanmar, Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo.
17. Genus Pithecophaga
There is only one species in this Genus.
17.1. Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi)
Description: Philippine Eagles are rare and majestic birds of prey that rank among the largest in the world. They are recognized by their distinctive mane-like crests, brown upperparts, and dark, huge bills and ceres. Their underparts are white, with light brown tails that feature darker subterminal bands and white tips. Their thighs are white with brown streaks, and their feet are yellow with black talons.
- Length – 86-102 cm.
- Weight – 4700-8000 g.
- Wingspan – 184-202 cm.
Habitat. Philippine Eagles inhabit primary tropical forests and residual gallery forests. They also inhabit patches of forests surrounded by cleared areas.
Conservation: Commercial timber extraction and shifting cultivation have caused forest destruction and fragmentation, which led to the IUCN listing of the Philippine eagles as Critically Endangered (CR).
Distribution: Philippine Eagles are endemic to the Philippines and are from eastern Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao.
18. Genus Polemaetus
There is only one species in this Genus.
18.1. Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus)
Description: Martial Eagles are large birds of prey with dark brown upper bodies, heads, and chests. Their lower bodies are white with black spots, while their flight feathers are streaked with black. The underwing coverts are brown, and their tails are white with black streaks. These Eagles have bright yellow eyes, black beaks, and grey ceres. Their feet are yellow, and they have short, inconspicuous crests.
- Length – 78-83 cm.
- Weight – 3000-4700 g.
- Wingspan – 190-260 cm.
Habitat: Martial Eagles inhabit open grassland and woods, wooded savannas, riparian forests, and thorn bushes but avoid closed forests and highly arid deserts.
Conservation: IUCN has classified martial eagles as Vulnerable (VU) due to various human activities, including direct persecution, habitat alteration and degradation, and nest disturbance. They are also at risk of drowning in sheer-walled reservoirs and getting electrocuted on power lines.
Distribution: Martial Eagles have an extensive range in sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa.
19. Genus Spilornis
Asian Serpent-Eagles have dark crowns, bright yellow eyes, and ceres. Other species termed serpent-eagles are Congo Serpent-Eagles and Madagascar Serpent-Eagles.
19.1. Andaman Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis elgini)
Description. Andaman Serpent-Eagles have predominantly dark brown feathers with small white spots on their underparts. Their tails are dark brown with one white band and white tips. They have yellow faces, bills, and legs. Their primary feathers are black with thin white edges, and their undertails have thick black and white bands.
- Length – 51-59 cm.
- Wingspan – 115-135 cm.
Habitat: Andaman Serpent-Eagles inhabit forests, hillsides, clearings with scattered trees, and tropical lowland areas.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed Andaman Serpent-Eagles as Vulnerable (VU) due to mounting pressure from agriculture, grazing, logging, and hunting.
Distribution: Andaman Serpent-Eagles are endemic to the Andaman Islands, India.
19.2. Crested Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis cheela)
Description: Crested Serpent-Eagles are medium-sized eagles with dark brown upper parts, lighter brown underparts, and yellow facial skin. The napes of their necks and crowns are black, while their crests are brown and barred with white. Their wings are short, and the wide white bands under their wings are distinctive in flight. There are numerous subspecies of varying appearance. Some have small white spots on the underparts. Their wedge-shaped tails may have one or two white bands.
- Length – 65-75 cm.
- Weight – 1420-1800 g.
- Wingspan – 123-155 cm.
Habitat: Crested Serpent-Eagles inhabit various habitats, including tropical rainforests, riparian gallery forests, savannas, mangroves, semi-open nixed forests, tea and teak plantations, and the edges of cultivated areas and villages.
Conservation: Crested Serpent-eagles are listed as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution. Crested Serpent-Eagles occur in the Indian subcontinent, southern Asia, Tibet, south China, the Malay peninsula, the Philippines, Indonesia, Borneo, and the Andaman Islands.
19.3. Mountain Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis kinabaluensis)
Description: Mountain Serpent-Eagles have dark brown feathers with white speckles, a black head and throat, a reddish-brown breast, a white-spotted belly, flanks, and thighs. Their flight feathers have black tips, white bases, and a black tail with a broad white band. They have bright yellow beaks, ceres, feet, and unfeathered legs.
- Length – 51-28 cm.
- Wingspan – 118-129 cm.
Habitat: Mountain Serpent-Eagles inhabit high-altitude montane and submontane evergreen forests and prefer ridgetop forests.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Mountain Serpent-Eagle as Near Threatened (NT) due to habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation.
Distribution: Mountain Serpent-Eagles occur in the mountains of central and northern Borneo, Malaysia, and Kalimantan, Indonesia.
19.4. Nicobar Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis klossi)
Description: Nicobar Serpent-Eagles are very small eagles with dark brown upper bodies, white-tipped wing coverts, and black primary feathers. Their underbodies are buff-colored. Their white-tipped tails are pale, and they have two dark bars. They have a dark, shaggy crest with a black crown, grey cheeks, yellow feet, ceres, and eyes.
- Length – 38-42 cm.
- Weight – average 450 g.
- Wingspan – 85-95 cm.
Habitat: Nicobar Serpent-Eagles inhabit primary forests, most frequently in the canopy. They also occur in grasslands and regenerating habitats.
Conservation: The IUCN has listed the Nicobar Serpent Eagle as Endangered (EN) due to habitat loss and degradation.
Distribution: Nicobar Serpent-Eagles are found only in Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar, and the South Nicobar Islands in India.
19.5. Philippine Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis holospilus)
Description: Philippine Serpent-Eagles have brown upperparts, black crowns, greyish-brown throats, and cheeks. They have rufous underparts with white spots on breasts, black tails with white central bands, yellow facial skin, legs, and black eye-rings.
- Length – 47-53 cm.
- Weight – 603-672 g.
- Wingspan – 105-120 cm.
Habitat: Philippine Serpent-Eagles inhabit riparian forest clearings, open woodlands, and sometimes cultivated lands with scattered trees along forest edges.
Conservation: Philippine Serpent-Eagles have been listed as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Philippine Serpent-Eagles are endemic to the Philippines.
19.6. Sulawesi Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis rufipectus)
Description: Sulawesi Serpent-Eagles are known for their striking appearance. They have dark brown upperparts, a dark head with short bushy crests, and dark grey cheeks. Their rufous breasts contrast with a light belly that has dark barring. They have yellow eyes, facial skin, and legs. The wings have single wide grey bands and two narrower bands along the base of the primary feathers. Their tails are black with a white tip and brown-white central bands.
- Length – 46-54 cm.
- Wingspan – 105-120 cm.
Habitat: Sulawesi Serpent-Eagles inhabit primary, montane, and secondary forests, woodlands, coconut groves, grassy savannas, and cultivated areas.
Conservancy: The Sulawesi Serpent-Eagle has been listed as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Sulawesi Serpent-Eagles are endemic to Sulawesi in Indonesia.
20. Genus Spizaetus
New World Hawk-eagles are forest birds, with several species preferring highland woodlands. They build stick nests in trees. The sexes are similarly plumaged, with typical raptor brown upperparts and pale underparts, but young birds are distinguishable from adults, often by a whiter head.
20.1. Black Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus tyrannus)
Description: Black Hawk-Eagles have black plumage with white barring on their underparts and thighs. Their tails are grey-and-white barred, and some white is on their crest. They have short and broad wings with white barring on their underside. Their eyes are yellow-orange, and their feet are yellow.
- Length – 58-71 cm.
- Weight – 1090-1120 g.
- Wingspan – 135-145 cm.
Habitat: Black Hawk-Eagles inhabit humid and moist open forests, forest edges close to rivers, and several woodland types.
Conservation: Black Hawk Eagles have been listed as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: Black Hawk-Eagles occur in central and South America, from Mexico to northeastern Argentina, including Brazil.
20.2. Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus melanoleucus)
Description: Black-and-white Hawk-Eagles are predominantly black and white. Their upper bodies are black, while their faces, necks, and lower bodies are white. They have a black mask, yellow eyes with yellow eye-rings encircled by black, and short bushy crests. They also have orange ceres and an orange bill with a black tip. Their tails have four black and white bars, and their flight feathers are also barred in black and white.
- Length – 51-61 cm.
- Weight – 750-780 g.
- Wingspan – average 117 cm.
Habitat: They can be found in various lowland forests and tropical and subtropical areas, including mixed forests, shrublands, and isolated woodland savannas.
Conservation: Black-and-white Hawk-Eagles have been listed as Least Concern (LC).
Distribution: They are found in southern Mexico, Colombia, eastern Brazil, northeast Argentina, and Paraguay.
20.3. Black-and-chestnut Eagle (Spizaetus isidori)
Description: Black-and-chestnut Eagles are large raptors with black bodies and chestnut breasts, bellies, and legs. They have black pointed crests, yellow eyes, and grey-to-black bills. Their tails are generally grey with a thick black trailing edge. Finally, these eagles have wide wings with white patches on the leading edges.
- Length – 60-80 cm.
- Weight – 1500-3500 g.
- Wingspan – 147-180 cm.
Habitat: They occurin middle-high elevation montane forests.
Conservation: IUCN has listed the Black-chestnut Eagles as Endangered (EN) due to huge losses of their primary range owing to conversion for agriculture, logging and mining.
Distribution: They inhabit the coastal ranges of north-central Venezuela and north-eastern Colombia, as well as the subtropical slopes of the Andes, from Venezuela through Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru to west-central Bolivia and north-western Argentina.
20.4. Ornate Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus ornatus)
Description: Ornate Hawk-Eagles are large birds of prey with black upperparts, upper wings, crowns, and very long crests. The sides of their necks and napes are chestnut, while their underparts are white with strong black barring. They have long white tails with black barring with white tips. Their eyes are bright gold, and their ceres are yellow with a black-tipped bill. Juveniles have white heads, necks, and underparts with a little barring.
- Length – 58-67 cm.
- Weight – 964-1000 g.
- Wingspan – 90-120 cm.
Habitat: They can be found in tall, humid gallery forests, wet primary rainforests, and swamp forests in lowlands and foothills. They are also near open areas and shaded coffee plantations with native trees.
Conservation: IUCN has listed the Ornate Hawk-eagles as Near Threatened (NT) due to deforestation for agriculture, cattle grazing, and infrastructure developments.
Distribution: They are found in central Mexico and South America, including Peru, Argentina, and Trinidad.
21. Genus Terathopius
There is only one species in this Genus.
21.1. Bateleur (Terathopius ornatus)
Description: Bateleurs are a type of medium-sized eagle known for their impressive flying displays. They have black heads, necks, backs, and underparts. Their rumps, tails, mantles, and undertail are chestnut-brown. The male Bateleurs have grey on their shoulders when their wings are folded, while the female has chestnut. Their face and feet are strikingly bright red, which can change depending on their mood. A red eye ring surrounds their dark eyes, and their bills are yellow with a black tip. They also have white secondaries with black tips and a black and white underwing.
- Length – 55-70 cm.
- Weight – 1820-2950 g.
- Wingspan – 168-190 cm.
Habitat: They are found in various habitats, including open savannas, acacia savannas, grasslands, Mopani, and miombo woodlands.
Conservation. IUCN has listed the Bateleur as Endangered (EN) due to poisoned baits, pesticides, trapping for international trade, nest disturbances from spreading human settlements, and increased intensification and degradation of agricultural land.
Distribution. Bateleurs are widespread in Sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and southern Mozambique.
Conclusion
Eagles are not only majestic as they glide through the sky or perch, silhouetted against the horizon. Whether large, like the Steller’s Sea-Eagle, or small, like the Nicobar Serpent-Eagle, these birds of prey are impressive with their wide wingspans, sharp talons, and keen eyesight.
They are apex predators of the sky, having little to fear except for the survival of their species. These wonderful birds can be found on various continents and habitats, including mountainous, dense forests, savannas, and coastal regions.
Eagles are more than just birds; they are icons and an essential part of our natural world. They face threats like habitat loss, pollution, and human interference. Protecting them through conservation efforts is crucial to preserving their role as symbols that have inspired generations and maintain vital links in our natural world.
