The eagle is a bird that has always been associated with greatness, pride and a strong spirit. This is one of the oldest and most universal symbols of the world. For many peoples, he was identified with the Sun and power, for others - with a warrior and victory. What is the bird itself? Where does she live and what kind of lifestyle does she lead?
What is an eagle bird? Photo and description
Eagle is a separate genus of birds that belong to the hawk-like order and the hawk family. These are large animals, much larger than a falcon or hawk. Their weight, depending on the species, reaches from 3 to 8 kilograms, and the body length is up to one meter. The wingspan of some birds reaches 2.5 meters.
Eagle has a powerful beak, curved at the end, and strong long claws. Their dense muscular body is densely covered with feathers down to the toes. Plumage makes up about 5% of the total mass of animals. The tail of the birds is narrow and short, which distinguishes them from many other members of the order. The head is rather small compared to the body.
In flight, an eagle is difficult to confuse with another bird. He usually hovers above the ground, occasionallyflapping huge and strong wings. Birds are able to hover in the sky for a long time, catching rising air currents and looking for prey. Noticing the victim, they immediately dive, while developing a speed of up to 200-300 kilometers per hour.
Habitat
The eagle bird is found in many parts of our planet. The largest number of species lives within Africa, Eurasia and North America. However, the bird is also common in Australia, South America and some islands of the Pacific and Indian Ocean.
They are not found in too cold regions and inhabit all belts from the forest-tundra to the desert. Eagles live in semi-open areas, nesting in rocks, on thick tree branches, and sometimes right on the ground. Housing, like the birds themselves, is large, several meters in diameter and weighing up to 400 kilograms. Eagles are solitary and never form flocks. During the breeding season, they settle in pairs, at a distance of about 2-4 kilometers from other representatives of their kind.
Food and lifestyle
Eagle is a bird of prey. Its entire structure indicates that it is a serious hunter, leaving no chance for the victim. Excellent vision allows him to see even small lizards and rodents at a distance of one to two kilometers. Thanks to this, he hunts in flight or looks out for his dinner, sitting on a tall tree.
The eagle's peripheral vision covers an area of 12 km2, for greater visibility it uses an incredibly mobile neck. In his eyemore light-sensitive cells than we do, which helps it see colors better and recognize camouflage animals.
The diet of the eagle bird is quite varied, and consists of amphibians, reptiles and various mammals, sometimes even carrion. Some species are more selective, and prefer to eat only specific representatives of the animal world. For example, the Kaffir eagle, which lives in South Africa, mainly preys on Cape hyraxes.
Speed, maneuverability in flight, excellent eyesight and a muscular body allow these birds of prey to hunt both small (lizards, mice, hares, turtles, other birds) and fairly large animals. Monkeys, antelopes, gazelles and rams often become prey for the largest eagles.
The biggest eagle
Berkut is the king among eagles. The bird is the largest representative of its kind. It is distributed exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth and lives in North America, Eurasia and some countries of North Africa.
The length of the golden eagle grows up to 80-95 centimeters, and its wingspan can reach 2.5 meters. This is the fastest eagle - during the hunt, it can reach speeds of up to 320 km / h. There is only one bird faster than him in the world - the peregrine falcon, which "accelerates" up to 390 km/h.
Berkut leads a secluded lifestyle and does not like being close to humans. Due to high urbanization, it has become a rare species, despite the fact that its range is very wide. Today it is listed in the Red Books of many countries of the world, and areas with its placesnesting sites included in nature reserves or national parks.
