Buzz
Eagles are celebrated across the globe as awe-inspiring sky rulers. Their unmatched hunting prowess and the mystique surrounding their existence have earned them both admiration and fear. Discover the breathtaking elements of their fierce lives and their complex bond with humanity.
10. Haast’s Eagle
Currently, golden eagles possess the incredible strength to drag full-grown mountain goats off cliffs with a jaw-shattering grip force of 750 psi, surpassing even the bite of a lion. However, this force would be no match for the long-extinct man-eating eagle of New Zealand.
Before the arrival of the Maori people, New Zealand was home to only three species of bats as its mammalian inhabitants. Unchallenged, birds flourished, evolving into colossal forms. The 3.6-meter (12 ft) flightless moa dominated the role of grazing herbivores, becoming the primary food source for the largest, most formidable eagle ever known.
With a wingspan of 3 meters (10 ft), Haast’s eagle reigned supreme as New Zealand’s top predator. It dove with deadly precision, its 9-centimeter (4 in) talons exerting 1,000 psi at speeds of 50 miles per hour (80 kph). Capable of killing a human, its fearsome power was immortalized in Maori oral tradition.
Yet, humanity triumphed. Five or six centuries ago, the Maori people hunted the moa to extinction, leading to the eventual demise of Haast’s eagle. In 1871, when Julius von Haast first discovered the eagle’s remains, his story was met with skepticism—until he returned with the bones to prove it.
9. Hunting With Eagles
While Haast’s eagle once preyed on the Maori people in ancient times, the golden eagle has long been trained for a different purpose: hunting for food rather than for human flesh. Employing seven distinct methods depending on the prey, the golden eagle became a treasured companion for kings in medieval Europe, exclusively used in falconry. The eagle hunting traditions of the Turkic peoples, especially the Mongolians, continue to this day.
Taken from their nests as eaglets, these birds are raised by a single handler, forming a deep and personal bond. After being treated as family for a decade, the eagles are released back into the wild to naturally reproduce. Eagle hunters, mounted on horseback, follow their trained eagles as they attack various prey such as wolves, foxes, and hares across the Eurasian steppe.
8. Police Eagles vs. Criminal Drones
In modern First World societies, the way of life of an eagle hunter is rarely seen. Surprisingly, however, the eagle has proven to be the perfect defense against an advanced technological threat: drones.
With drones becoming so widespread and easily accessible in today's world, not all tech enthusiasts are using them for mere recreation. These devices are now being deployed for clandestine surveillance of buildings and individuals, as well as for smuggling illegal substances or explosives.
Reports have uncovered drugs attached to criminal drones in prison grounds, confirming our worst fears. Praised as 'a low-tech solution for a high-tech problem,' specialized eagle units trained to intercept drones were initially employed by Dutch police as a safer alternative to bullets and nets in crowded environments.
Eagles perceive drones as intruding birds of prey invading their airspace. (Interestingly, Australia's wedge-tailed eagles also consider hang gliders and paragliders as rival threats. Attacking these gliders, the wedge-tailed eagle seems to share its old New Zealand counterpart's disdain for humanity.)
Much like evading the beak and talons of a competitor, trained eagles instinctively strike the drone in its center while skillfully avoiding the rotors. Modern police forces and military organizations worldwide, such as Scotland Yard and the French Air Force, are keen to replicate the Dutch success in this area.
7. The DDT Danger Myth
Eagles have played a significant role in political history, especially in the debate surrounding the DDT ban. Common belief holds that DDT is a dangerous poison and a potent pesticide that devastates wildlife.
The bald eagle has been a primary focus due to its bioaccumulation of toxins from consuming fish. Adult eagles die, and their eggshells thin so drastically they break during incubation. But have you ever questioned whether this is scientifically accurate?
In reality, DDT poses no significant danger to humans. The primary cause of the bald eagle's decline was largely due to shooting and habitat loss. Following the Bald Eagle Protection Act, eagle populations rebounded even during the height of DDT spraying.
Biologists from the US Fish and Wildlife Service even conducted experiments where they 'fed large doses of DDT to captive bald eagles for 112 days,' with no harmful effects. Additionally, none of the hundreds of dead eagles found between 1961 and 1977 were attributed to DDT or its residues. Despite these inconvenient facts, environmentalists relentlessly campaigned to ban DDT for decades, and eventually, the government gave in.
The ban on a harmless and highly effective chemical turned out to be a powerful demonstration of the growing influence of environmentalist politics. While this has undeniably benefitted global health, it raises an important question: Does the end justify the means?
6. Bald Eagles: Scavengers, Not Fearsome Predators
You might be familiar with Benjamin Franklin’s amusing suggestion to make the humble turkey the national bird of America instead of the majestic bald eagle. But the noble bald eagle is not quite the fierce predator it's often made out to be.
Many respected naturalists have observed that the bald eagle is not so much a hunter as it is a scavenger and opportunistic thief. It relies on its imposing size to steal food from the highly skilled fish-hunting osprey.
Meriwether Lewis humorously remarked in his diaries during the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 'We continue to see a great number of bald eagles. I presume they must feed on the carcasses of dead animals, for I see no fishing hawks to supply them with their favorite food.'
The bald eagle's scavenging behavior stems from its true nature as a sea eagle, not a true eagle. It is more closely related to the African vulture and lacks the instinct to hunt for itself. Its only form of 'hunting' involves catching nearly exhausted salmon during their migration—or scavenging from the ones already dead.
Benjamin Franklin once referred to the bald eagle as a 'rank coward,' noting how it would flee from the much smaller kingbird. Even its iconic screech is misleading; the sound actually belongs to the red-tailed hawk. In truth, bald eagles make a much more unimpressive chirping noise.
There is no bravery or honor to be found in the bald eagle. If the golden eagle, a far more powerful and noble bird, weren’t so widespread across the globe, it may have been chosen as the symbol of America instead. However, as a native species far more aesthetically pleasing than the turkey, the bald eagle was chosen by Thomas Jefferson to represent the nation.
5. Love and Home
The bald eagle’s elegance is undeniable, especially when displayed in the breathtaking spectacle of the death spiral. Two eagles lock their talons together and spiral downward, only to break apart just before they hit the ground.
For both bald and white-tailed eagles, their dramatic courtship display is the pinnacle of their relationship—a clear sign of the health, trust, and affection shared between mates. Unlike other species that might engage in 'monogamy,' these eagles do not socialize with other eagles away from their nest.
Bald and white-tailed eagles, devotedly monogamous, also share a remarkable trait: their massive, multigenerational nests. Built in tall trees, these aeries are reused and expanded by successive generations. One such nest in Iceland has stood for over 150 years, and the weight of a bald eagle’s 1,814-kilogram (2 ton) nest can crush a tree, sometimes causing it to fall.
4. Females and Fratricide
Once an eagle has chosen its lifelong mate and constructed (or perhaps renovated) their home, they lay between one and five eggs. One parent remains vigilantly nearby, guarding the nest with intense protectiveness.
Yet, the greatest threat often comes from within the nest itself, and the parents allow it to unfold naturally. The innocent-looking eaglets carry a dark secret: it is common for the older, usually larger, female eaglet to kill its sibling. No action is taken to prevent this natural demonstration of survival of the fittest.
Why are female eagles larger than males across all species, showcasing the rare occurrence of reversed sexual size dimorphism in birds? The reasons remain inconclusive, but the prevailing theories suggest that the larger size aids the female in fulfilling her maternal duties—nest building, incubation, protection, and, though not always necessary, defense against the male.
In contrast, the male eagle is smaller and therefore faster and more agile when it comes to hunting, thanks to his lighter weight and more compact size.
3. Eagle’s-Eye View
No description of the eagle would be complete without acknowledging its exceptional vision, which is essential for its talon-eye coordination. Capable of seeing four times farther than humans, eagles possess an impressive 20/4 vision and can see 100 times better in the dark.
They can even perceive ultraviolet light, allowing them to detect UV-reflecting urine from their prey. Soaring thousands of feet in the air and diving at incredible speeds to make precise kills, eagles are true masters of accuracy. When they spot their target, they strike without hesitation.
As noted in the Encyclopedia of Life, '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.'
2. The Legal Eagle
Across the globe, the eagle has long been a symbol of national pride, with eagles of various species representing 18 national birds and appearing in the coats of arms of 25 countries. Yet, the eagle's mythical standing was undermined by the materialistic mindset of the Industrial Revolution.
As firearms became more widespread and livestock needed protection, eagles were seen as a threat, leading to widespread killings. Between 1917 and 1953, over 100,000 bald eagles were slaughtered, falsely believed to endanger Alaskan salmon fishermen's catch.
Thankfully, in the years since, global laws have been enacted to protect eagles, including hefty fines of up to $250,000 for harming American bald and golden eagles. Violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act are taken seriously, with arrests made for possession, even if it involves just a single feather.
Inflicting harm on a Philippine eagle, a critically endangered apex predator that preys on monkeys and is native to its namesake, can result in up to 12 years of imprisonment and a 1-million-peso fine. 'Unfortunately, one person with a gun thinks he can shoot anything,' says the Philippine Eagle Foundation, following the tragic discovery of a previously rehabilitated eagle that was found shot dead after its recovery.
We hope that individuals will continue to educate themselves and develop a deeper respect for eagles and the rest of the natural world.
1. Mythical Foundation
Eagles have long been intertwined with human mythology and history. The story of the thunderbird, a colossal magical bird believed to command thunder and lightning, is thought to have emerged from sightings of eagles soaring on the winds of a storm.
In the legendary tale of Sinbad the Sailor from the Middle East, the enormous roc is thought to have been inspired by two creatures: the now-extinct Malagasy crowned eagle and the elephant bird, a relative of the moa. The 2-meter (7 ft) eagle and the gigantic eggs of the elephant bird were likely exaggerated into the mythical proportions of the roc.
The eagle, a symbol of empire, also plays a key role in the founding of Tenochtitlan, the heart of the Aztec Empire. According to myth, an eagle perched on a cactus and captured a snake, guiding travelers to the site of their future capital, which would rise to become one of the mightiest empires in Mesoamerica.
The eagle, representing various sky deities, most notably the Greek god Zeus, captivated the imaginations of ancient civilizations as both a regal leader and a formidable force of nature.
