Editing Eagle (section)

==Description==
Eagles are large, powerfully-built [[birds of prey]], with heavy heads and beaks. Even the smallest eagles, such as the [[booted eagle]] (''Hieraaetus pennatus''), which is comparable in size to a [[common buzzard]] (''Buteo buteo'') or [[red-tailed hawk]] (''B. jamaicensis''), have relatively longer and more evenly broad wings, and more direct, faster flight, despite the reduced size of their aerodynamic feathers. Most eagles are larger than any other [[Raptor (bird)|raptors]], apart from some [[vulture]]s. The smallest species of eagle is the [[Great Nicobar serpent eagle]] (''Spilornis klossi''), at {{convert|450|g|lb|abbr=on|0}} and {{convert|40|cm|in|abbr=on}}. The largest species are discussed below. Like all birds of prey, eagles have very large hooked [[beak]]s for ripping flesh from their prey, strong, muscular legs, and powerful [[Claw|talons]].

The beak is typically heavier than that of most other birds of prey. Eagles' eyes are extremely powerful. It is estimated that the [[wedge-tailed eagle]] has a [[visual acuity]] twice that of a typical human.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Mitkus |first1=Mindaugas |title=Raptor Vision |date=2018-04-26 |url=https://oxfordre.com/neuroscience/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264086.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264086-e-232 |encyclopedia=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Neuroscience |access-date=2023-06-12 |language=en |doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780190264086.013.232 |isbn=978-0-19-026408-6 |last2=Potier |first2=Simon |last3=Martin |first3=Graham R. |last4=Duriez |first4=Olivier |last5=Kelber |first5=Almut }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Martin |first=Graham R. |date=January 1986 |title=Vision: Shortcomings of an eagle's eye |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=319 |issue=6052 |pages=357 |doi=10.1038/319357a0 |pmid=3945316 |bibcode=1986Natur.319..357M |s2cid=4233018 |issn=1476-4687|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Reymond |first=L. |date=1985 |title=Spatial visual acuity of the eagle Aquila audax: a behavioural, optical and anatomical investigation |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4090282/ |journal=Vision Research |volume=25 |issue=10 |pages=1477–1491 |doi=10.1016/0042-6989(85)90226-3 |issn=0042-6989 |pmid=4090282|s2cid=20680520 }}</ref> This acuity enables eagles to spot potential prey from a very long distance. This keen eyesight is primarily attributed to their extremely large pupils which ensure minimal [[diffraction]] (scattering) of the incoming light. Like most diurnal raptors, eagles have little ability to see [[ultraviolet]] light.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Mitkus |first1=Mindaugas |title=Raptor Vision |date=2018-04-26 |url=https://oxfordre.com/neuroscience/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264086.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264086-e-232 |encyclopedia=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Neuroscience |access-date=2023-06-12 |language=en |doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780190264086.013.232 |isbn=978-0-19-026408-6 |last2=Potier |first2=Simon |last3=Martin |first3=Graham R. |last4=Duriez |first4=Olivier |last5=Kelber |first5=Almut}}</ref> The female of all known species of eagles is larger than the male.<ref>{{cite book|author=Leclerc, Georges|author22=Louis, Comte de Buffon|title=The Natural History of Birds: From the French of the Count de Buffon; Illustrated with Engravings, and a Preface, Notes, and Additions, by the Translator|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sFmrk6_RBg8C&pg=PA60|year=2010|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-108-02298-9|pages=60–|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429190712/https://books.google.com/books?id=sFmrk6_RBg8C&pg=PA60|archive-date=29 April 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="Grambo2003">{{cite book|author=Grambo, Rebecca L.|title=Eagles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O5J8JK07QykC|year=2003|publisher=Voyageur Press|isbn=978-0-89658-363-4|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430184052/https://books.google.com/books?id=O5J8JK07QykC|archive-date=30 April 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Eagles normally build their nests, called [[Bird nest|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 parents take no action to stop the killing.<ref name= gambo>{{cite book | last = Grambo | first = Rebecca L | title = Eagles | year = 2003 | publisher = Voyageur Press | isbn = 978-0-89658-363-4 | page = [https://archive.org/details/eagles00gram/page/32 32] | url = https://archive.org/details/eagles00gram/page/32 }}</ref><ref name= stinson>{{cite journal | last= Stinson | first= Christopher H| year=1979 | title= On the Selective Advantage of Fratricide in Raptors | journal= Evolution | volume= 33 | issue = 4| pages= 1219–1225 | doi =10.2307/2407480 | pmid= 28563923| jstor= 2407480}}</ref>
It is said{{by whom|date=June 2024}} that eagles fly above clouds but this is not true.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}} Eagles fly during storms and glide from the wind's pressure. This saves the bird's energy. 
Due to the size and power of many eagle species, they are ranked at the top of the food chain as [[apex predator]]s in the avian world. The type of prey varies by genus. The ''[[Haliaeetus]]'' and ''[[Icthyophaga]]'' eagles prefer to capture fish, though the species in the former often capture various animals, especially other [[water bird]]s, and are powerful [[Kleptoparasitism|kleptoparasites]] of other birds. The snake and serpent eagles of the genera ''[[Circaetus]]'', ''[[Bateleur|Terathopius]]'', and ''[[Spilornis]]'' predominantly prey on the great diversity of [[snake]]s found in the tropics of Africa and Asia. The eagles of the genus ''[[Aquila (genus)|Aquila]]'' are often the top birds of prey in open habitats, taking almost any medium-sized [[vertebrate]] they can catch. Where ''Aquila'' eagles are absent, other eagles, such as the [[Buteoninae|buteonine]] [[black-chested buzzard-eagle]] of South America, may assume the position of top raptorial predator in open areas. Many other eagles, including the species-rich genus ''[[Spizaetus]]'', live predominantly in woodlands and forests. These eagles often target various arboreal or ground-dwelling mammals and birds, which are often unsuspectingly ambushed in such dense, knotty environments. Hunting techniques differ among the species and genera, with some individual eagles having engaged in quite varied techniques based on their environment and prey at any given time. Most eagles grab prey without landing and take flight with it, so the prey can be carried to a perch and torn apart.<ref name=RaptorsWorld>{{cite book|year=2001|title=Raptors of the World| publisher=[[Helm Identification Guides|Christopher Helm]]|location=London|isbn=0-7136-8026-1|author1=Ferguson-Lees, J. |author2=Christie, D. }}</ref>

The [[bald eagle]] is noted for having flown with the heaviest load verified to be carried by any flying bird, since one eagle flew with a {{convert|6.8|kg|lb|frac=4|adj=on|abbr=on}} [[mule deer]] fawn.<ref>{{cite web|title=Amazing Bird Records|publisher=Trails.com|access-date=20 July 2012|url=http://www.trails.com/arts/amazing-bird-records.aspx|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620215454/http://www.trails.com/arts/amazing-bird-records.aspx|archive-date=20 June 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-06-18 |title=Deer dropped by eagle knocks out power in Montana |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-deer-power-idUSTRE75G6J520110617 |access-date=2023-07-11}}</ref> However, a few eagles may target prey considerably heavier than themselves; such prey is too heavy to fly with, thus it is either eaten at the site of the kill or taken in pieces back to a perch or nest. [[Golden eagle|Golden]] and [[crowned eagle]]s have killed [[ungulate]]s weighing up to {{convert|30|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} and a [[martial eagle]] even killed a {{convert|37|kg|lb|0|adj=on|abbr=on}} [[duiker]], 7–8 times heavier than the preying eagle.<ref name=RaptorsWorld/><ref name= Watson>{{cite book| author = Watson, Jeff | title =The Golden Eagle | edition =Second | year = 2011 | publisher =Yale University Press | isbn = 978-0-30017-019-1}}</ref> Authors on birds [[David Allen Sibley]], [[Pete Dunne (author)|Pete Dunne]], and Clay Sutton described the behavioral difference between hunting eagles and other birds of prey thus (in this case the bald and golden eagles as compared to other North American raptors):<ref>{{cite book|year=1989|title=Hawks in Flight: The Flight Identification of North American Migrant Raptors|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|location=Boston|isbn=0-3955-1022-8|author1=Sutton, C.|author2=Dunne, P.|author3=Sibley, D.|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/hawksinflight00clay}}</ref>
[[File:Old Abe, the live war eagle of Wisconsin, from the Centennial.jpg|thumb|An Eagle named in honor of Abraham Lincoln and was the mascot of 8th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, at the time of the U.S. Centennial]]

<blockquote>
They have at least one singular characteristic. It has been observed that most birds of prey look back over their shoulders before striking prey (or shortly thereafter); predation is after all a two-edged sword. All hawks seem to have this habit, from the smallest kestrel to the largest Ferruginous – but not the Eagles.
</blockquote>

Among the eagles are some of the largest birds of prey: only the [[condor]]s and some of the [[Old World vulture]]s are markedly larger. It is regularly debated{{according to whom|date=June 2024}} which should be considered the largest species of eagle. They could be measured variously in total length, body mass, or wingspan. Different lifestyle needs among various eagles result in variable measurements from species to species. For example, many forest-dwelling eagles, including the very large [[harpy eagle]], have relatively short wingspans, a feature necessary for being able to maneuver in quick, short bursts through densely forested habitats.<ref name=" RaptorsWorld"/> Eagles in the genus ''Aquila'', found almost exclusively in open country, are noted for their ability to soar, and have relatively long wings for their size.<ref name=RaptorsWorld/>

These lists of the top five eagles are based on weight, length, and wingspan, respectively. Unless otherwise noted by reference, the figures listed are the median reported for each measurement in the guide ''Raptors of the World''<ref>Ferguson-Lees, et al.</ref> in which only measurements that could be personally verified by the authors were listed.<ref name=RaptorsWorld/>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Rank
! Common name
! Scientific name
! Body mass
|-
| 1 || [[Philippine eagle]] || ''Pithecophaga jefferyi'' || {{convert|8.3|kg|lb|frac=4|abbr=on}} (Average Weight)
|-
| 2 || [[Steller's sea eagle]] || ''Haliaeetus pelagicus'' || {{convert|7.4|kg|lb|frac=4|abbr=on}} (Average Weight)
|-
| 3 || [[Harpy eagle]] || ''Harpia harpyja'' || {{convert|6.35|kg|lb|frac=4|abbr=on}} (Average Weight)
|-
| 4 || [[White-tailed eagle]] || ''Haliaeetus albicilla'' || {{convert|4.8|kg|lb|frac=4|abbr=on}} (Average Weight) <ref name="HBW">{{cite book|title=Handbook of the Birds of the World |last1=del Hoyo |first1=J | last2=Elliot | first2 = A | last3=Sargatal | first3 = J | year=1996 |publisher=[[Lynx Edicions]] |location=[[Barcelona]] |isbn=84-87334-20-2|volume=3|title-link=Handbook of the Birds of the World }}</ref>
|-
| 5 || [[Martial eagle]] || ''Polemaetus bellicosus'' || {{convert|4.6|kg|lb|frac=4|abbr=on}}<ref name="HBW"/> (Average Weight)
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Rank
! Common name
! Scientific name
! Total length
|-
| 1 || [[Philippine eagle]] || ''Pithecophaga jefferyi'' || {{convert|100|cm|ftin|0|abbr=on}}<ref name=PhilRaptors>{{cite journal|author1=Gamauf, A.|author2=Preleuthner, M.|author3=Winkler, H.|name-list-style=amp|year=1998|url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v115n03/p0713-p0726.pdf|title=Philippine Birds of Prey: Interrelations among habitat, morphology and behavior|journal=[[The Auk]]|volume=115|issue=3|pages=713–726|doi=10.2307/4089419|jstor=4089419|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823062018/http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v115n03/p0713-p0726.pdf|archive-date=23 August 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|-
| 2 || [[Harpy eagle]] || ''Harpia harpyja'' || {{convert|98.5|cm|ftin|0|abbr=on}}
|-
| 3 || [[Wedge-tailed eagle]] || ''Aquila audax'' || {{convert|95.5|cm|ftin|0|abbr=on}}
|-
| 4 || [[Steller's sea eagle]] || ''Haliaeetus pelagicus'' || {{convert|95|cm|ftin|0|abbr=on}}
|-
| 5 || [[Crowned eagle]] || ''Stephanoaetus coronatus'' || {{convert|87.5|cm|ftin|0|abbr=on}}
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Rank
! Common name
! Scientific name
! Median wingspan
|-
| 1 || [[White-tailed eagle]] || ''Haliaeetus albicilla'' || {{convert|218.5|cm|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

|-
| 2 || [[Steller's sea eagle]] || ''Haliaeetus pelagicus'' || {{convert|212.5|cm|ftin|0|abbr=on}}
|-
| 3 || [[Wedge-tailed eagle]] || ''Aquila audax'' || {{convert|210|cm|ftin|0|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.birdssa.asn.au/saopdfs/Volume%2011/1932V11P156.pdf |title=The spread and weight of the Wedge-tailed Eagle |journal=South Australian Ornithologist |volume=11 |pages=156–157 |author=Morgan, A.M. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424140132/http://birdssa.asn.au/saopdfs/Volume%2011/1932V11P156.pdf |archive-date=24 April 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref name = "Wood">{{cite book | author = Wood, Gerald | url = https://archive.org/details/guinnessbookofan00wood | title = The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats | year = 1983 | publisher = Guinness Superlatives | isbn = 978-0-85112-235-9 }}</ref>
|-
| 4 || [[Golden eagle]] || ''Aquila chrysaetos'' || {{convert|207|cm|ftin|0|abbr=on}}
|-
| 5 || [[Martial eagle]] || ''Polemaetus bellicosus'' || {{convert|206.5|cm|ftin|0|abbr=on}}
|}