Solitary Eagle
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| Harpyhaliaetus solitarius (Tschudi, 1844) |
The Solitary Eagle, Harpyhaliaetus solitarius, is a large Neotropical eagle.
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[edit] Range and Habitat
The Solitary Eagle is native to Mexico and Central and South America. It is found in mountainous or hilly forests. Records from lowlands are usually misidentifications of another species, often Common Black-Hawk. It is rare in all areas and poorly known.
[edit] Appearance
The adult Solitary Eagle is uniformly dark gray, often appearing black, with white markings on the tail. It is 25 to 30 inches long, with a 60 to 74 inch wingspan. It appears very similar to the Common Black-Hawk and Great Black-Hawk, but is much larger and has significantly broader wings, extending nearly to the tip of the tail. These exceptionally broad wings are one of the prime distinguishing characteristics of this species.
The juvenile is mottled brown and tan, with markings around the eyes. It otherwise resembles the adult.
[edit] Relationships
Recent studies have shown that the Solitary Eagle is closely related to the black-hawks. Therefore, it may not merit a separate genus.
[edit] References
- Jones, H. Lee. Birds of Belize. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas, 2003.
- Howell, Steve N.G., and Sophie Webb. "A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America." Oxford University Press, New York, 1995.
- BirdLife International (2004). Harpyhaliaetus solitarius. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 December 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is near threatened
