Big Eagles Of The Planet: A Complete Guide To How Big Eagles Are

By Mayukh Saha / Truth Theory

An eagle is a bird of prey that is synonymous with power, strength, and motivation. They are also one of the most impressive as well as dreaded predators of the natural world. Numerous big eagles on earth are peak predators who usually prefer to dominate their natural surroundings along with targeting and hunting down their prey from an apex. And there are some big eagles out there.

Eagles are also chosen as national symbols by several countries including Japan, Panama, and the United States of America.

Eagles are also right at the top of the entire food chain system due to the reason that they can survive in the harshest of environmental conditions. They can adapt, survive, and hunt in various habitats and are heavily-built.

We have compiled a complete list that includes the big eagles of the world, mentioning their weight, length, and how big are eagles.

Read GOLDEN EAGLES BACK FROM THE BRINK AS NUMBERS SOAR TO ‘HISTORIC’ LEVELS!

I: The Heaviest Ones Among Big Eagles

Haast’s Eagle

Image credit: John Megahan

Haast’s Eagle used to weigh 17.8kg and had a wingspan of about 3 meters. These eagles are presently extinct and originally lived in New Zealand. It is believed that early human settlers had hunted down the other flightless birds to extinction. As a result, Haast’s were also wiped out during the 1400s. They were known to be the largest eagles that ever existed and one of the most vicious predators in the ecosystem.

Steller’s Sea Eagle

Image Credit: Sergei Uriadnikov

In a list of big eagles, Steller’s sea eagles are bound to be the heaviest and largest eagles to be found in the coastal regions of north-east Asia as well as Japan. The average weight of these birds of prey is 9kg with a wingspan, ranging between 1.95 meters and 2.5 meters. The size of Stellar’s is the obvious answer to how big are eagles since they can also be 1.05 meters in length. These coastal eagles are easily distinguishable due to their bright and contrasting colors of the body. They have black feathers with yellow beaks and white-colored tails. Their exponential strength is seen when they hunt down salmons, crustaceans, and baby seals.

Philippine Eagle

Image credit: Bill Roque

Philippine eagles are one of the heaviest eagles in the world weighing over 8kg and have a wingspan of 2 meters. They have striking blue eyes, black beaks, yellow feet, and light-brown feathers. These are a rather small population and an endangered species living in small Philippine islands. They hunt medium-sized animals and birds and are known for their maneuvering skills. They are also called the money eating eagle.

II: African Big Eagles  

African Crowned Eagle

Image Credit: rocchas75

Although these African eagles don’t have a place in the checklist of ‘how big are eagles’ per se, they are extremely powerful. African Crowned eagles prey on animals like large monkeys, hyraxes, antelopes, mongoose, reptiles, and fowls which are four times their weight. They are known to swoop down on their targets and break their spine with their strong talons.

Martial Eagle 

Image credit:  nickdale

The Martial eagles are African predators that have a wingspan of 2.6 meters and weigh 6.2-6.6kg. Their incredible power boasts of knocking off an adult person. These unbelievably big eagles manage to capture small antelopes, reptiles, lambs, monkeys, and other small animals. They hunt livestock usually domesticated in the Sahara deserts.

Verreaux’s Eagle

Image credit: Derek Keats

These big eagles weigh 4.2kg with 2.3 meters wingspan. Verreaux’s Eagles are commonly found in the rocky and mountainous terrain of Eastern and North-eastern Africa. These big eagles have a specialized diet that includes hyrax. They also prey on small-sized animals. Another rare quality is that they belong to the siblicide category. The siblings kill each other or snatch each other’s food, causing the death of the other by starvation.

III: National Symbols

American Bald Eagle

Image credit: sorincolac

American Bald Eagle the national animal for the US and the symbol of everlasting love. These big eagles weigh up to 7.5kg with a wingspan of 2.5 meters. These eagles meet and lock talons while spinning in the sky as a way of mating for a lifetime. The male eagles feed the chicks during the initial few months. The bald eagle pair add and improve their nest throughout their lives.

Read HUNTERS THAT USE LEAD BULLETS ARE CURRENTLY KILLING HUNDREDS OF BALD EAGLES

Harpy Eagles

Image credit: Henner Damke

Harpy Eagles are undoubtedly one of the largest birds of prey weighing 9kg and a wingspan extending over 2 meters. They can be found in South America and are also the national bird for Panama. These eagles are so powerful as to break an arm of a human with their talons. They are adapted to survive and thrive in canopy forests and prey on medium-sized mammals.

IV: Eurasian & Australian Eagles

White-Tailed Eagle

Image Credit: Giedrius Stakauskas

White-tailed eagles are one of the largest eagles in Europe, weighing 5kg and a wingspan of 2.4 meters. They have a pristine white tail, beak, and talon with a dark-brown body. These eagles have a protruding head that lends them a vulture-like appearance. They usually hunt fish and birds with occasional prey upon small mammals.

Golden Eagle

Image credit: Rudolf Ernst

Next in our list of how big eagles are, are the Golden eagles which are immensely popular in places like Austria, Albania, Mexico, and Germany. They weigh almost 6.5kg and have a wide wingspan of 2.3 meters. Being one of the most powerful avian creatures, they prey on jackrabbits, lambs, and other small and medium-sized livestock. They are mahogany brown with golden-colored heads and necks.

Australian Wedge-Tailed Eagle

Image credit: L. J. LaBarthe

As the name suggests, they are largely found in Australia and also, in New Guinea where they are commonly known as Eaglehawk or Bunjil. Australian Wedge-tailed eagles have an expanse of 2.3 meters and weigh a massive 5.3kg. The females weigh more than males. These big eagles are found in open areas and forest landscapes. 

The term ‘big’ not only indicates the size or weight but also the prowess, peculiarity, and strength of these eagles. The varying characteristics of these big eagles depend on the habitat, skills, and evolutionary timeline.