Sea eagle
Bald Eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
The Eagle ( Haliaeetus ) are a species of bird in the family Accipitridae.
Description
The genus Haliaeetus includes invariably large to very large species. The smallest species is the Madagascar sea eagle with a length of 60-66 cm and a span of 1.60 to 1.80 m and weighing 2.2 to 3.5 kg and the largest species is the giant eagle with a length of 85 -105 cm, a wingspan up to 2.90 m and weighing 4.9 to 9.0 kg.
Common features of the genus are very wide, ( with the exception of the Giant Eagle ) board-shaped wings, a relatively short, often wedge-shaped tail, which is usually very large and powerful beak, and the largely featherless tarsometatarsus. In almost all species ( except Solomon Eagle ) is the tail largely or completely white. For all species the young birds are clearly colored differently from the adult eagle, the full adult plumage is acquired only after several years.
The courtship and territory - " singing " all species consists of lined up, more or less melodious calls. Here, the head is thrown ( the African Fish Eagle, for example ) to top ( eg for lake and bald eagle ), or even on the back. Where known, the breeding pairs sing with all members of the genus often a duet.
Dissemination
The distribution of the genus is almost cosmopolitan but (not in South America) is, in America only one kind before, the bald eagle.
Species
The genus includes eight species, fossil is another kind, H. piscator, from the middle Miocene of France ( Sansan ) known.
- Eagle ( H. albicilla)
- Bald Eagle (H. leucocephalus)
- White-bellied sea eagle (H. leucogaster )
- Binding Eagle ( H. leucoryphus )
- Giant Eagle ( H. pelagicus )
- Solomon Eagle ( H. sanfordi )
- Eagle ( H. Vocifer )
- Madagascar sea eagle (H. vociferoides )
Ecology
Almost all species of the genus show a close relationship to larger waters, only the Salomon eagle hunts in the interior of forests. The large wing area, which allows the use of even smaller updrafts, is interpreted as an adaptation to the low thermal over open water. The diet consists mainly according to the habitat of fish and water birds, mammals and reptiles are captured only locally common. If known, the carrion is taken regularly by all species. Many species are active as nest predators, especially the smaller species parasitize also common in other species of birds.
Reproduction
All members of the genus build large bulky nests ( nests ) on trees or on rocks, exceptionally well on the floor. As far as known, only one brood a year there. The clutch size is 1-4 eggs. The nestlings are mutually little aggressive, Cainism comes only occasionally.