How many of the 68 eagle species can you name? Remember, there’s more to the world of birds of prey than the mighty bald eagle and his very cute friend, the harpy eagle. After this list, you’ll be able to name at least 11. Let’s get cracking!
1. Bald Eagle
The bald eagle is synonymous with the US and they’re unique to North America. You’d think they have always been the country’s national bird, but they only got the official title in 2024. Bald eagles are opportunistic feeders that survive on fish, the creators of the largest tree nests in the world, and a really intelligent bird species. They reach sexual maturity at the age of 4 and they lay their eggs at unusual times. The bald eagle faced some threats in the past, with their status ranging from threatened to vulnerable. Fortunately, conservation efforts have worked, and the species is no longer on the Red List.
2. Harpy Eagle
Of all the animals you may encounter in the Amazon Rainforest, the harpy eagle is the cutest. In fact, thanks to its unusual appearance, it’s one of the most unique birds in the world. The species is sometimes called the American harpy eagle to set it apart from the Papuan eagle or New Guinea harpy eagle. In addition to the adorable face, the harpy eagle is extra special because it’s one of the world’s biggest birds. The harpy is the strongest lifting bird, with an incredible strength that allows them to lift up to 40 lbs.
3. Golden Eagle
Did you know that most birds symbolize something? There are birds that symbolize birth, birds that symbolize death, and birds that symbolize peace. Apparently, there’s even a bird for every month of the year. If you’re born in July, the eagle is your winged symbol, and it means you’re destined to be as courageous and strong as the species. You can choose which eagle you’d choose for that tattoo later, but the golden eagle is the most widely distributed species in the world. They symbolize a lot of things in a lot of cultures, but that may be because they’re pretty impressive birds. They can hunt anything from little squirrels to hares.
4. Tawny Eagle
Sadly, the tawny eagle hasn’t had the same type of luck as the bald eagle over the years. Due to habitat loss, logging, persecution through poisoning, and global warming, the species is facing extinction. They live in Africa and the Indian subcontinent, while some individuals have chosen the southern Middle East as their home. Their habitat of choice would be dry regions, like semi deserts, savanna plains, and desert steppes. Tawny eagles can reach the age of 16 years old and they stay alive by scavenging on carrion and with opportunistic hunting.
5. Philippine Eagle
The Philippine eagle may look like an owl, but it’s most certainly an eagle. The species is also known as the great Philippine eagle, or the monkey-eating eagle. Sadly, despite their ability to hunt down plenty of monkeys and other relatively large animals, they’re critically endangered. The species is endemic to forests in the Philippines, where they’ve also been declared the national bird. We’re looking at no more than 400 breeding pairs left, while the rest have died because of habitat loss, deforestation, and even gunshot injuries. Hopefully the 12 years’ imprisonment and heavy fines will stop people from killing them in the future.
6. Steller’s Sea Eagle
Steller’s sea eagles also go by Pacific Sea eagles or white-shouldered sea eagles. Call them what you want, but the species is the heaviest eagle species in the world. And of course, females are bigger than males. You’ll find them in coastal northeastern Asia, where they inhabit areas in Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and Russia. Unfortunately, Steller’s sea eagle is another species that’s listed on the IUCN Red List of threatened species. They’re currently considered to be vulnerable.
7. African Fish Eagle
If it’s in sub-Saharan Africa and there’s a large body of open water (with a lot of fish, of course), I can almost guarantee that there will be an African fish eagle, or African sea eagle, somewhere. These birds are such prominent figures in Africa that they’re the national bird of four different countries, namely Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and Namibia. They look a lot like the bald eagle from North America, so if you’re unsure which one you saw, just check your location.
8. Martial Eagle
The martial eagle is another incredible sub-Saharan African eagle species. They’re somewhat opportunistic and they’ll settle for anything related to a mammal, bird, or reptile. They hunt from a high soar, particularly over open savannas. They’re currently facing a dip in their population and according to the IUCN, the species is officially classed as endangered. Sadly, you can blame that on their habit of stealing livestock and game from farms. This leads to wardens and farmers constantly being on the lookout for martial eagles to eliminate.
9. Bateleur Eagle
The bateleur eagle is definitely unique when it comes to appearance. But it’s not their bright colors that set them apart. It’s the fact that they can take up to 8 years to reach maturity, which is a pretty long time for a raptor species. The IUCN classifies the bateleur species as endangered and it only lives in sub-Saharan Africa and Arabia. They’re aggressive birds, but that doesn’t stop other birds and humans from stealing their nests. Because of this, they build small nests in large trees and only lay one egg at a time.
10. Steppe Eagle
The endangered steppe eagle is the national bird of both Kazakhstan and Egypt, so it has to be special. Which raises the question: why are so many of these birds dying? Just some of the threats they face include electrocution on dangerous wire setups, steppe fires, pests causing nest failure, persecution by humans, and nest destruction by livestock. The steppe eagle is the only eagle species that primarily nests on the ground.
11. Pygmy Eagle
We’ll end this list with a little guy called the pygmy eagle or New Guinea hawk-eagle. They’re native to subtropical and tropical moist lowland and montane forests in New Guinea. They’re the second smallest eagle species in the world, following the Great Nicobar serpent eagle. They may be small, but that doesn’t stop them from preying on other birds, including mountain fruit doves and brown cuckoo doves.
