Birds of prey refer to over 560 species of predatory birds that soar above the rest near the top of the food chain. While they have different appearances across the globe, they share similar features like sharp eyesight, talons, and beaks that make it easy to find prey, living and deceased.
These majestic birds often live in solitude, preferring high perches away from humans for their hunting grounds, but nearly every country has their own. Not every bird of prey is massive, but those that are can found on this list.
1. California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
Body Length: 43 to 55 in (109 to 140 cm)
Weight: 15 to 31 lbs. (7 to 14.1 kg)
Wingspan: 8 ft 2 in to 9 ft 10 in (2.49 to 3 m)
The California Condor has the largest recorded body length of any on our birds of prey list. This massive flyer once ruled the western North American coast, but the roughly 300 that remain are now only occasionally found in south central California deserts.
The California Condor Recovery Program has been hard at work since 1979 to “establish robust self-sustaining populations of condors”, and in 2008 they finally reached a milestone of more free-flying condors than captive ones since the program began.
Despite their commanding size, California Condors prefer to feed on large carcasses of deer or even whales, seals, and cattle, sometimes eating as much as 3 to 4 pounds of carrion in a day and fasting afterwards.
2. Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus)
Body Length: 3 ft 3 in to 4 ft 3 in (100 to 130 cm)
Weight: 22 lbs. (10.1 kg) for females; 28 lbs. (12.5 kg) for males
Wingspan: average of 9 ft 3 in (283 cm); maximum of 10 ft 10 in (3.3 m)
The Andean Condor is shorter than its California cousin but weighs in heavier with a longer wingspan and is one of the largest flying land birds in the world. The females are often larger than the males (which is unusual for raptors), and males have a comb, a wattle, and brown eyes.
Often seen flying over mountainous regions of South America, the Andean Condor is also a scavenger that prefers to feed on carrion. Their feather-free head and neck is much easier to keep clean of bacteria, and their skin can change color depending on their mood.
The Andean Condor is a revered symbol in many cultures. They show up in cave paintings dating back thousands of years, and they’re considered rulers of the upper world that work as mediators between spirits and Inti, the sun god of the Inca.
3. Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus)
Body Length: 39 to 47 in (98 to 120 cm)
Weight: 17 to 31 lbs. (7.5 to 14 kg) for females; 14 to 25 lbs. (6.3 to 11.5 kg) for males
Wingspan: 8 ft 2 in to 10 ft 2 in (2.5 to 3.1 m)
The Cinereous Vulture goes by a few different names, including Black Vulture and Monk Vulture. This Eurasian raptor is one of the biggest of its family in the world, sticking to the mountainous air in the east as much as possible.
Cinereous Vulture parents are very doting caretakers, and their chicks are sometimes larger than their parents by the time they fledge.
These carrion-eating creatures also have incredibly strong immune systems, with their genes boosting their immunity and improving digestion to a greater degree than other live-prey eating cousins.
4. Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus)
Body Length: 37 to 49 in (94 to 125 cm)
Weight: 9.9 to 17.2 lbs. (4.5 to 7.8 kg)
Wingspan: 7 ft 7 in to 9 ft 3 in (2.31 to 2.83 m)
Also known as the Bearded Eagle and Ossifrage, the Lammergeier is an unusual carrion-eater with a feathered face. Despite that, they are the only known vertebrates to eat a bone-heavy diet, with some letting bones make up as much as 90 percent of their meals.
There are 13 subspecies of Lammergeier spanning from eastern Europe to parts of China and south into Africa. They love to hang out in mountains of these regions, finding a safe space to lay one or two eggs that should hatch when spring rolls around.
Oddly enough, Lammergeiers sometimes link together in threesomes when two males are after the same female. They are also odd caretakers and will bring their young pieces of prey instead of regurgitating them later on.
5. Lappet-Faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos)
Body Length: 37 to 45 in (95 to 115 cm)
Weight: 9.7 to 20.7 lbs. (4.4 to 9.4 kg); larger in captivity
Wingspan: 8.2 to 9.5 ft (2.5 to 2.9 m)
Getting its name from the skin folds surrounding its face, the Lappet-Faced Vulture is found across the arid and semi-arid regions of Africa and the Middle East. These carrion-cleaners are often spotted near human-saturated areas, more than happy to pick off roadkill that’s left behind.
Also known as the Nubian Vulture, these Old-World Vultures have strong beaks that can tear through the hard armored skin and muscle of dead animals that other scavengers cannot. They’re also known to hunt small mammals as needed, including raiding flamingo flocks and picking off the smaller birds.
6. Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus)
Body Length: 31 to 38 in (78 to 96 cm)
Weight: 8.7 to 9.3 lbs. (3.93 to 4.23 kg)
Wingspan: 6 ft 2 in to 7 ft 10 in (188 to 240 cm)
The Martial Eagle is Africa’s largest eagle, and it’s big enough to pick off smaller antelopes if needed. These booted eagles are some of the strongest of their kind, and they shoot down from incredible heights to take down their prey.
Martial Eagles are very territorial. They prefer both open and dense woodlands, as well as hyper-arid deserts, but spend plenty of time in the air. A breeding pair may dominate as much as 130 square miles (340 km sq), but they tend to be very solitary outside of breeding season.
7. Steller’s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus)
Body Length: 2 ft 9 in to 3 ft 5 in (85 to 105 cm)
Weight: 14 to 21 lbs. (6.2 to 9.5 kg) for females; 11 to 15 lbs. (4.9 to 6.8 kg) for males
Wingspan: 7 to 9 ft 2 in (2.13 to 2.8 meters)
These gorgeous piebald eagles are native to the coastal regions of Northeastern Asia, primarily hunting fish and smaller waterfowl in the region. They’re built just for that, with sharp spicules on the bottom of their feet to hold prey securely.
The Steller’s Sea Eagle is the heaviest eagle in the world, and they’re large enough to take on larger birds like geese, swans, or albatrosses if they want.
Despite their strong and sturdy bodies, they’re considered a vulnerable species. It’s theorized they are a glacial relict, meaning their population was likely much larger in the past. They’re protected in many areas, but issues like habitat, overfishing, and pollution still pose a major threat to existing populations.
8. Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja)
Body Length: 34.1 to 42.1 in (86.5 to 107 cm); female is larger than male
Weight: 14 to 20 lbs. (6.3 to 9 kg) for females; 8.5 to 12 lbs. (3.8 to 5.4 kg) for males
Wingspan: up to 6.5 ft (2 m)
The Harpy Eagle, sometimes distinguished with the name American Harpy Eagle, is the largest bird of prey throughout the Central and South American rainforests it inhabits. Despite its wide wingspan, this bird has no problem flying through the dense trees.
Harpy Eagles have broad, muscular builds with beautiful, barred plumage and a double crest on their head. When they’re threatened or excited, they can raise this crown, making sure all in the area know their emotions are heightened. Their large talons have no problem hunting down prey as large as monkeys and sloths.
9. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Body Length: 28 to 40 in (70 to 102 cm)
Weight: 6.6 to 13.9 lbs. (3 to 6.3 kg); females are about 25% larger than males
Wingspan: 5 ft 11 in to 7 ft 7 in (1.8 to 2.3 m)
The Bald Eagle is the native to the United States, but it’s found throughout much of North America, getting smaller the closer it is found to the equator. While adults have the typical white head, neck, tail, and rump, they spend the first five years of their lives with more subtle brown plumage.
Bald eagles mate for life, and they’re believed to live 30 years or more in the wild. They prefer to build their impressive nests atop tall trees near water and usually return to the same nest every year, repairing and building it up as needed. The largest bald eagle nest on record was found in St. Petersburg, Florida, measuring in at 10 feet across and 20 feet tall.
While they prefer fish and staying away from humans, there are a few recorded instances of these birds of prey stealing small dogs.
10. Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi)
Body Length: 3 ft (1 m)
Weight: 14 lbs. (6.5 kg)
Wingspan: 6.5 to 8 ft (2 to 2.5 m)
Common in Philippine rainforests, their national bird has a more slender flame than others on this list. They’re one of the rarest eagles in the world, and there are only believed to be about 400 pairs left in the wild. They only lay one egg every other year, waiting until their offspring is ready to live on their own before laying another.
As the national bird of the Philippines, they’re often seen on stamps, coins, paper notes, and breeding pairs are sometimes offered as a sign of diplomacy to friendly countries.
11. White Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)
Body Length: 26 to 37 in (66 to 94 cm)
Weight: 8.8 to 15.2 lbs. (4 to 6.9 kg) for females; 6.8 to 11.9 lbs. (3.1 to 5.4 kg)
Wingspan: 5 ft 10 in to 8 ft (1.78 to 2.54 m)
Also known as the Ern, Gray Sea Eagle, or Eurasian Sea Eagle, these large birds are often found along the coast of Norway, preferring the sea lochs in that region. This species forms a pair with the North American Bald Eagle, also focusing their hunting efforts on fish.
Sea Eagles are opportunistic hunters, so they will go after other birds and small mammals if needed. They like to sit and wait for prey rather than fly around and hunt it down, preferring shallow dives to plunges.
12. Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
Body Length: 26 to 40 in (66 to 102 cm)
Weight: 7.2 lbs. (3.25 kg) for females; 7.9 lbs. (3.6 kg) for males
Wingspan: 5 ft 11 in to 7 ft 8 in (1.8 to 2.34 m)
The Golden Eagle may have a smaller size than others on this list, but it has a long history alongside humans. For hundreds of years this species has been preferred for falconry, sharing its hunting skills with humans like the Kazakh in Mongolia to take down small mammals like foxes and hares.
As you would expect, many observers regard these raptors as the best fliers of eagles. They glide quickly and maneuver well, sometimes outmaneuvering the peregrine falcon’s speeds with their expert skills.
Golden Eagles are particularly silent, even during breeding season, and have a shrill voice that doesn’t quite match their majestic frame.
13. Wedge-Tailed Eagle (Aquila audax)
Body Length: 32 to 42 in (81 to 106 cm)
Weight: 6.6 to 12.8 lbs. (3 to 5.8 kg) for females; 4.4 to 8.8 lbs. (2 to 4 kg) for males
Wingspan: 6 ft to 7 ft 7 in (182 to 232 cm)
The Wedge-Tailed Eagle is one of Australia’s most expansive birds of prey, settling down in nearly all biomes on the continent and doing their part in hunting down small mammals. They’re even known to hunt down larger prey, like kangaroos, if needed, or to feed on carrion (mostly in their youth).
They’re the most common of the large eagles on this list, but face many of the same threats, primarily habitat loss. The monogamous birds often abandon their nest if they’re disturbed and may even abandon their small clutches of one to four eggs.
