Top 15 Largest Eagles in the World

Philippine Eagle, also known as the Philippine Monkey-eating Eagle, is one of the tallest, rarest, largest, and most powerful birds in the world. This bird is considered the national bird of the Philippines.

The Philippine Eagle is a brown and white eagle found in the dense forests of the Philippines. It is considered the largest eagle in the world in terms of length, followed by the harpy eagle, Steller's sea eagle, and the wedge-tailed eagle.

The Philippine Eagle has dark brown and white feathers, stands 86 to 102 cm tall, and weighs 4.7 – 8 kg. It is regarded as the 'longest-living eagle' since the extinction of the Haast's eagle. It is also one of the rarest and most powerful species in the world of birds. Its legs are large, prominently yellow with black talons. The grayish-green beak and grayish-blue eyes resemble those of hawks. It has a wingspan of 184 to 220 cm, with a normal wing length of 57.4-61.4 cm, and a tail length of 50 cm. This bird became the national bird of the Philippines.

Wedge-tailed Eagle is one of the largest birds of prey in the world and the largest raptor on the continents of Australia and New Guinea. Females weigh from 3 to 5.77 kg, while males are lighter, ranging from 2–4 kg. They have a length of 81–106 cm, with an average length of 95.5 cm. Their wingspan is typically between 182–232 cm, averaging 210 cm. This eagle is the third-largest in the world in terms of average length and wingspan.

Wedge-tailed Eagles often soar high in the sky for many hours, reaching heights of up to 1,800 meters and sometimes significantly higher. They can see both infrared and ultraviolet light. They spend most of their time perched on trees, rocks, or strategic locations with good views of their surroundings. During intense heat of the day, they often soar high in the air around updrafts of hot air rising from the ground. Each pair occupies a territory ranging from 9 km2 to over 100 km2.

In nature, the Harpy Eagle female typically weighs from 6-9kg, with some cases exceeding 10kg. The largest recorded female Harpy Eagle named Jezebel weighed an astounding 12.3kg. Meanwhile, the males are smaller, weighing only between 4.4-4.8kg. The Harpy Eagle is a rare and incredibly powerful bird, often inhabiting lowland tropical forests. With its strength and majestic appearance, this eagle found in the Americas is considered an iconic species, the Harpy Eagle, representing the Americas.

This eagle has a length ranging from 86-107cm and a wingspan from 176-224cm. This unique appearance sometimes leads people to mistake it for someone in a bird-themed costume rather than a real bird. With its black and gray plumage covering the neck and wide wings, along with the pure white breast feathers, the Harpy looks like a tall, elegant 'heartthrob.'

The Harpy Eagle's diet includes arboreal mammals like monkeys and sloths. However, during food scarcity seasons, they hunt even larger prey such as deer and small ungulates, typically reserved for predators like foxes, lions, or tigers. As a formidable bird of prey, the Harpy doesn't follow a vegetarian diet like some other birds. Moreover, with its large body size, long and sharp talons, high-speed flying, and keen eyesight, the Harpy is the largest and most powerful aerial hunter in the world.

The Golden Eagle is one of the renowned birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Belonging to the family Accipitridae, it once had a widespread distribution in the Holarctic region but disappeared from some densely populated areas. Despite disappearing or becoming less common in some previously distributed ranges due to sexually transmitted diseases, this species still prevails in regions of Asia, North America, and parts of Africa.

The Golden Eagle boasts dark brown coloration, with light golden-brown feathers on the head and neck. The wingspan of this species ranges from 1.8-2.3m. While male eagles weigh between 7-11 kg, females only weigh half as much: between 3.5-6 kg.

Golden Eagles utilize their agility and speed, combined with extremely powerful talons, to capture a variety of prey, including rabbits, marmots, ground squirrels, and large mammals such as foxes and young ungulates. They also feed on carrion if live prey is scarce, as well as reptiles. Birds, including large species up to the size of swans and cranes, have been recorded as prey for this eagle species.

Steller's Sea Eagle primarily inhabits coastal regions in northeastern Asia, on the Kamchatka Peninsula of the Russian Far East, where they can coexist with seabirds and some other fish-eating raptors.

The average weight of a female eagle ranges from 6 to 9.5 kg, while males, slightly lighter, range from 4.9 to 6.8 kg. This average weight can vary with seasons or food accessibility. They have a body length ranging from 85 to 105 cm, and their wingspan is quite extensive, ranging from 1.95 to 2.5 m, with some sources suggesting it could reach up to 2.8 m.

Adult Steller's Sea Eagles have dark brown to black plumage, with contrasting white appearing on the shoulders, tail, and legs. Their eyes are yellow with excellent vision. Despite being fish eaters, their feet and talons are incredibly powerful, comparable to any other fierce eagle species.

It can be said that Steller's Sea Eagle has the largest, yellow beak among all sea eagle species, and it is, in fact, the largest beak among all existing eagle species, rivaling the beak of the largest vultures in the world.

6. Martial Eagle

Martial Eagle is a large eagle found in the open and semi-open habitats of sub-Saharan Africa. The Martial Eagle is a very large eagle, with a total length of 78–96 cm, weighing 3-6.2 kg, and a wingspan of 188–260 cm, with a tail length of 27.2–32 cm, and tarsus bone length of 9.7–13 cm. It is the largest eagle in Africa and the fifth-largest in the world.

The plumage of adults consists of dark brown-gray on the back, head, and upper parts, while the lower body is white with black-brown spots. The feathers under the wings are brown. Females are usually larger than males. Juveniles have a lighter color, often white on the head and chest, with fewer spots on the lower parts. The beak is very strong, about 5.5 cm long, and the legs are covered with very powerful feathers. They have excellent vision (3.0-3.6 times better than humans), allowing them to detect prey from a very long distance.

7. Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle is a top predator bird in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States. This sea eagle has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle. Its distribution range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the continental United States, and northern Mexico. They are found near large open water areas with abundant food sources and tall trees for nesting.

Bald Eagles are large birds of prey, with females larger than males, and a wingspan that can reach up to 2.5 meters. They have white heads and necks, brown bodies, and white tails, but their plumage doesn't fully develop until they are about 5 years old. Its Latin name means 'sea eagle.'

8. White-tailed Sea Eagle

White-tailed Sea Eagle is a large predatory bird closely related to the Bald Eagle. It boasts substantial size, comparable weight, and length to the Steller's Sea Eagle and Bald Eagle.

This species has broad wings, a large head, and a thick, robust beak. Adult eagles are predominantly brownish-gray, with a slightly lighter head and neck, contrasting black flight feathers, and a striking white tail. All non-feathered parts, including the beak and legs, are yellow. In immature birds, the tail and beak are darker, with a dark terminal band in individuals nearing adulthood. The combination of speckled brown-gray plumage, broad and even wings, white tail, vibrant yellow beak, and overall large size makes the White-tailed Sea Eagle unmistakable in its native range.

9. African Forest Eagle

African Forest Eagle is a large bird of prey inhabiting the sub-Saharan forests of Africa. Its preferred habitat includes dense forests and riparian areas.

The African Forest Eagle has a total length of up to 90cm, slightly smaller and significantly shorter wingspan compared to Africa's largest eagle, the Martial Eagle. However, it is considered the most powerful eagle in Africa when measured by prey weight. It can hunt mammalian prey such as bushbuck, occasionally weighing over 30kg.

African Forest Eagle is highly formidable. It possesses large talons and powerful legs, capable of killing prey by crushing the skull. Over 90 percent of its diet consists of mammals, primarily small ungulates, rock hyraxes, and small primates.

10. African Fish Eagle

African Fish Eagle is an immensely large eagle found across the sub-Saharan regions of Africa, and it is an iconic bird in many African countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, and South Sudan.

The African Fish Eagle is a sizable bird, with females weighing from 3.2 to 3.6 kg, larger than males weighing from 2 to 2.5 kg. This exemplifies sexual dimorphism in birds of prey. Males typically have a wingspan of about 2 m, while females have a wingspan of 2.4 m. The body length ranges from 63–75 cm.

The plumage of juveniles is brown, with eyes lighter than in adults. The feet have rough soles with powerful talons to enable the eagle to grasp slippery prey like scale-covered fish. While primarily piscivorous, it is an opportunistic species and may take a more varied range of prey, including water birds. The distinctive call of this species is evocative to many, invoking associations with the spirit and essence of Africa.

11. Verreaux's Eagle

Verreaux's Eagle, also known as the African Black Eagle, is a member of the Buteonidae family and is the largest eagle species in Africa. This species is the third heaviest eagle globally.

Verreaux's Eagle is a large and powerful eagle. The male and female appear similar, although the female is larger and heavier. The face has a pale white disc with a black border. The distinctive short and bushy feather tufts above the ears. Dark brown eyes, pinkish skin above the eyes, and brownish-yellow eyelashes. The base of the bill is bluish-gray, the bill is light cream, and the cere is gray. The feathers around the bill are slightly darker. The upperparts are light brownish-gray, milk-toned, with fine white lines and a series of white spots on the shoulders. The underparts are lighter brownish-gray, with very fine, dense lines. The throat is white, prominent during vocalization. Powerful gray horn-colored toes, partially covered in feathers. Dark brown claws, black-tipped. The juvenile is entirely covered by a layer of creamy-white feathers.

The length of Verreaux's Eagle is approximately 60–66 cm, with an average wingspan of 140 cm. The body weight of the male is 1.6 - 2 kg, while the female's body weight is 2.5 - 3.2 kg. Standard measurements: male wings 42–48 cm, female wings 45–49 cm, male tail 22-27.5 cm, female tail 23–27 cm, and tarsus length is 8 cm.

Indian Hunting Eagle is a large raptor belonging to the vulture family and is native to the Indian subcontinent. It is also the largest carnivorous bird of India with a wingspan of about 60 cm.

This carnivorous bird has wide wings and a long tail, aiding in easy maneuvering through trees. The body measures 30–46 cm, with females significantly larger than males. The species breeds in South Asia, from India and Sri Lanka to southern China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It mainly inhabits lowland areas and remains resident throughout the year. Even in high-altitude habitats, it still resides in winter, such as in the foothills of the Bhutan Himalayas or in Sal forests.

This is a large predatory bird with characteristic brown-gray color and quite long feathered crest. New Guinea Eagle is also a flagship species of the New Guinea tropical forest due to its extraordinary hunting ability.

New Guinea Eagle stands at a height of 75–90 cm, has a wingspan of 157 cm, and weighs 1.6-2.4 kg. Their feathers are brown-gray, wings are broad, beak is large, tail is long, with the underside being white, long legs, and extremely sharp talons. Females are larger than males.

They feed on small mammals, birds, snakes, and build nests on tall trees. Due to habitat loss and hunting by islanders, they have become a threatened species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

White-bellied Eagle is a large diurnal bird of prey belonging to the Eagle family. The White-bellied Eagle is a distinctive bird, with adults having white head, chest, under-wing feathers, and tail. The upper parts are gray, and the contrast under the wing with black feathers and white feathers. The tail is short and wedge-shaped, as in all Haliaeetus species.

Like many birds of prey, females are slightly larger than males, reaching up to 90 cm with a wingspan of up to 2.2 m, and weighing 4.5 kg. Juvenile birds have brown plumage, gradually replaced by white feathers until they are five or six years old. Their call resembles a loud goose. White-bellied Eagles live in pairs or small groups. This eagle feeds on sea snakes. The White-bellied Eagle dives to capture prey on the water's surface, rather than plunging into the water.

South American Crested Eagle is a large eagle. It is the only member of the Morphnus genus. The Crested Eagle can reach up to 89 cm in length, with a wingspan of up to 176 cm and weighing up to 3 kg. The plumage varies from light brown-gray to dark gray or even slightly black in some cases.

South American Crested Eagle has a white throat and a black spot on its crest, with a small dark mask over its eyes. The South American Crested Eagle has a wide range across Central and South America, but the population is not large, leaning towards lowland tropical forests. As a powerful predator, its diet mainly consists of small mammals, rodents, snakes, and smaller birds. Although widely distributed, it is currently classified as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), mainly due to habitat loss.