How Eagles Live Essay, Research Paper

How the Eagles Live

My purpose of this paper is to explain the different types of eagles and how they live.

The bald eagle has the scientific name of haliaetus leucocephalus and is named for its white feathers that cover its head and neck. It is from the family accipitridae. An adult bald eagle is usually 40 inches long, and has a wingspan of about 6-7 feet. The adult bald eagle is dark brown with a white head and tail. An immature bald eagle is all brown with some white in tail and wing linings. Their beak, eyes, and feet are yellow.

The bald eagle lives along rivers, big lakes, and tidewater throughout the world except for South America. They locate fish by following seabirds, and then they rob osprey of fish catches, they also eat carrion. The bald eagle is an endangered species and is only numerous in Florida, where there are breeding sanctuaries.

The bald eagle makes its nest with a bulky platform of sticks in a tall tree, and normally has between 2-3 white eggs per season.

The golden eagle has the scientific name of aquila chrysaetos and is named for its golden appearance. It is a member of the hawk family. It has a wingspan of six and a half to seven and a half feet, and can live to be thirty or more years old. The adult golden eagle is evenly dark below, or with a lighting at the base of its tail. An immature golden eagle shows a white flash in the wing at the base of the primaries, and a white tail with a broad dark terminal band.

The golden eagle is found in the mountainous regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and is a partial migrant. The golden eagle eats rodents, snakes, birds, and can eat full-grown deer and sheep. They are now fully protected by law, but sheepherders once killed many, because it was thought that they preyed heavily on livestock.

The golden eagles make nests that can be ten feet across, and are made on cliffs overlooking their hunting ground. A golden eagle often uses the same nest for generations, and has between 2-3 spotted eggs per season.

The great harpy eagle (harpia harpyja), ranging from southern Mexico to Brazil, it is about one meter long and bears a crest of feathers on its head. Its body is black above and white below except for a black chest band. It was becoming increasingly rare in the late 20th century, particularly in Mexico and Central America.

The New Guinea harpy eagle (harpyopsis novaeguineae) is about 75 centimeters long. It is gray-brown and has a long tail and a short but full crest.

Very similar, in appearance and habits, to the New Guinea harpy eagle is the monkey-eating eagle (pithecophaga jefferyi) of the Philippines. It is about 90 cm long, brown above and white below, with a crest of long narrow feathers. It is an endangered species.

Bonelli’s eagle (hieraetus fasciatus) of Mediterranean areas and parts of southern Asia, is about 60 cm long, dark above and light below, has a broad tail band, and usually shows a white patch on the back.

The martial eagle (polemaetus bellicosus) of Africa, is heavily built, brown above with a black throat and black-spotted white underparts. It has a short, barred tail and bright yellow eyes. It is large and strong enough to kill jackals and small antelopes, but its usual food is gallinaceous birdsand hyraxes.

Verreaux’s eagle (aquila verreauxi) is an uncommon bird of eastern and southern Africa. It is black with white rump and wing patches. It reaches about 80 cm in length, and it subsists

mainly on hyraxes.