Eagle

Eagle
Bald Eagle
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes ( [or Accipitriformes]], q.v.)
Family: Accipitridae
Genera

Several, see text

Eagles are large birds of prey which are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa.[1] Outside this area, just two species (the Bald and Golden Eagles) can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in Central and South America, and three in Australia.

Contents

Description

Eagles are different from many other birds of prey mainly by their larger size, more powerful build, and heavier head and beak. Even the smallest eagles, like the Booted Eagle (which is comparable in size to a Common Buzzard or Red-tailed Hawk), have relatively longer and more evenly broad wings, and more direct, faster flight. Most eagles are larger than any other raptors apart from the vultures. Species named as eagles range in size from the South Nicobar Serpent-eagle, at 500 g (1.1 lb) and 40 cm (16 in), to the 6.7 kg (14.7 lbs) Steller's Sea Eagle and the 100 cm (39 in) Philippine Eagle.

Like all birds of prey, eagles have very large powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong muscular legs, and powerful talons. They also have extremely keen eyesight which enables them to spot potential prey from a very long distance.[2] This keen eyesight is primarily contributed by their extremely large pupils which ensure minimal diffraction (scattering) of the incoming light.

Eagles build their nests, called eyries, in tall trees or on high cliffs. Many species lay two eggs, but the older, larger chick frequently kills its younger sibling once it has hatched. The dominant chick tends to be the female, as they are bigger than the male. The parents take no action to stop the killing.

Species

Martial Eagle in Namibia.
Thermographic image of an eagle, thermoregulating using its wings.
Philippine Eagle, Pithecophaga jefferyi in Southern Philippines.
Wedge Tailed Eagle in Australia.

Major new research into eagle taxonomy suggests that the important genera Aquila and Hieraaetus are not composed of nearest relatives, and it is likely that a reclassification of these genera will soon take place, with some species being moved to Lophaetus or Ictinaetus.[3]

FAMILY ACCIPITRIDAE

A Steppe Eagle in Lahore Zoo Pakistan.
A dark individual of the Short-toed Eagle.

Eagles in culture

The word

The modern English name of the bird is derived from the Latin term aquila by way of the French aigle. The Latin aquila may derive from the word aquilus, meaning dark-colored, swarthy, or blackish, as a description of the eagle's plumage; or from aquilo, the Latin version of Greek boreas, or north wind; however, aquilus and aquilo may just as well derive from aquila (or be unrelated) and the latter be of unknown origin.

Old English used the term earn, related to Scandinavia's ørn / örn. The etymology of this word relates it to Greek ornís, meaning "bird", though other Indo-European languages (such as Welsh eryr or Russian orël / орёл) show that the meaning 'eagle' is older. The Greek word may be an old diminutive. The Albanian word for eagle is "shqiponje" deriving from the root "shq" which is the same for the word "shquaj" ("distinguish") and could be explained with the outstanding ability of the bird to distinguish clearly objects from long distances.

In Britain before 1678, Eagle referred specifically to the Golden Eagle, the other native species, the White-tailed Eagle, being known as the Erne. The modern name "Golden Eagle" for Aquila chrysaetos was introduced by the naturalist John Ray.

Eagles as national symbols

Coat of arms of the Albanian Kingdom (1928 - 1939)

Coat of arms of Austria

Double-headed eagle emblem of the Byzantine Empire. Relief from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople

Coat of arms of Egypt.

The Reichsadler symbol of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation and Imperial Germany (1871-1918).

Coat of arms of Germany. It dates back to the eagle as a symbol of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation (800-1806), the so called Bundesadler.

This is the state emblem of Karnataka, India. The bird in the middle is the "Gandaberunda."

Coat of arms of Mexico. It dates back to the legend of the founding of the main Aztec city-state Tenochtitlan in 1325.

Napoleonic eagle.

Coat of arms of the town of Berg en Terblijt in the Netherlands, an example of the prolific use of the eagle in European heraldry.

Coat of arms of Federal Republic Of Nigeria.

Coat of arms of Poland. The symbol of an eagle appeared for the first time on the coins made during the reign of Bolesław I (992-1025), initially as the coat of arms of the Piast dynasty.

Coat of arms of Ghana

Coat of arms of the Romanian Principalities in 1600, having the Wallachian eagle on top.

Coat of arms of Russia.

Coat of arms of the Seljukians

Coat of arms of Serbia.

The Great Seal of the United States.

Coat of arms of Velletri.

Coat of arms of Armenia.

Coat of arms of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

Coat of arms of Bogotá.

Eagles have been used by many nations as a national symbol.

Historic uses:

Religion

The Moche people of ancient Peru worshiped the animal and often depicted eagles in their art.[5]

Despite modern and historic Native American practices of giving eagle feathers to non-indigenous people and also members of other tribes who have been deemed worthy, current United States eagle feather law stipulates that only individuals of certifiable Native American ancestry enrolled in a federally recognized tribe are legally authorized to obtain eagle feathers for religious or spiritual reasons.[6] In Canada, poaching of eagle feathers for the booming U.S. market has sometimes resulted in the arrests of First Nations person for the crime.[7]

Garuda, the Vahana of Lord Vishnu

Garuda murthi in West Bengal, India

In Hindu religion, Garuda is a lesser Hindu divinity, usually the mount (vahanam) of Vishnu. Garuda is depicted as having the golden body of a strong man with a white face, red wings, and an eagle's beak and with a crown on his head. This ancient deity was said to be massive, large enough to block out the sun.

The eagle is also the patron animal of Zeus. In particular, Zeus was said to have taken the form of an eagle in order to abduct Ganymede, and there are numerous artistic depictions of the Eagle Zeus bearing Ganymede aloft, from Classical times up to the present (see illustrations in the Ganymede (mythology) page.)

References

  1. ↑ del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Sargatal, J. (editors). (1994). Handbook of the Birds of the World Volume 2: New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Lynx Edicions. ISBN 8487334156
  2. ↑ Shlaer, Robert (1972-05-26). "An Eagle's Eye: Quality of the Retinal Image". Science 176 (4037): 920–922. doi:10.1126/science.176.4037.920. PMID 5033635. http://www./920?ck=nck. Retrieved 2007-11-20. 
  3. ↑ Lerner, H. R. L.; D. P. Mindell (2005). "Phylogeny of eagles, Old World vultures, and other Accipitridae based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 37 (37): 327–346. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.04.010. PMID 15925523. 
  4. ↑ Bunce, M.; et al. (2005). "Ancient DNA Provides New Insights into the Evolutionary History of New Zealand's Extinct Giant Eagle". PLoS Biol 3 (1): e9. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0030009. PMID 15660162. PMC 539324. http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0030009. Retrieved 2006-12-27. 
  5. ↑ Berrin, Katherine & Larco Museum. The Spirit of Ancient Peru:Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1997.
  6. ↑ Office of Law Enforcement. "National Eagle Repository". Mountain-Prairie Region. United States Fish and Wildlife Service. http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/law/le65.html. Retrieved 2007-11-20. 
  7. ↑ Sin, Lena (2006-04-30). "Charges laid in eagle-poaching case". The Province (CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.). http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=7037508c-70c7-4c47-9d3e-713a118e6b66&k=55151. Retrieved 2007-11-20. 

Further reading

External links