This article is about the bird. For other uses, see Eagle (disambiguation).
Eagle
Bald Eagle
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes ( or Accipitriformes, q.v.)
Family: Accipitridae
Genera

Several, see text

Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 61 species occur in Eurasia and Africa.[1] Outside this area, just two species (the Bald and Golden Eagles) can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in Central and South America, and three in Australia.

Contents

Description [link]

Eagles are large, powerfully built birds of prey, with a heavy head and beak. Even the smallest eagles, like the Booted Eagle (which is comparable in size to a Common Buzzard or Red-tailed Hawk), have relatively longer and more evenly broad wings, and more direct, faster flight. (Despite reduced size in aerodynamic feathers) Most eagles are larger than any other raptors apart from some vultures. Species named as eagles range in size from the South Nicobar Serpent Eagle, at 450 g (1 lb) and 40 cm (16 in), to the 6.7 kg (14.7 lbs) Steller's Sea Eagle and the 100 cm (39 in) Philippine Eagle. Like all birds of prey, eagles have very large hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong muscular legs, and powerful talons. The beak is typically heavier than most other birds of prey. They also have extremely keen eyesight (up to 3.6 times human acuity for the martial eagle) which enables them to spot potential prey from a very long distance.[2] This keen eyesight is primarily contributed by their extremely large pupils which ensure minimal diffraction (scattering) of the incoming light. The female of all species of eagle known are larger than the male.[3][4]

Eagles normally build their nests, called eyries, in tall trees or on high cliffs. Many species lay two eggs, but the older, larger chick frequently kills its younger sibling once it has hatched. The dominant chick tends to be the female, as they are bigger than the male. The parents take no action to stop the killing.[5][6]

Among the eagles are some of the largest birds of prey: only the condors and some of the Old World vultures are larger. Four species — Steller's Sea Eagle of eastern Asia, Harpy Eagle of South and Central America, Philippine Eagle and the Wedge-tailed Eagle of Australia — can reach a metre in length. All four can have a wingspan exceeding two metres, as can the Martial Eagle of Africa, most species in the genus Haliaeetus and several in the genus Aquila.[7] However the measurements for all four species differ. The wingspan of both the harpy eagle and philippine eagle rarely exceed two metres as it increases manoeuvrability through the forest which they inhabit and the wedge tailed eagle is relatively lightweight, with an average mass of 3466 g (7.63 lb). The Harpy Eagle and Wedge-tailed Eagle are also shorter, measuring 89–100 cm and 80–104 cm respectively.[citation needed] Steller's Sea Eagle usually ranges between 85–94 cm (33–37 in).[citation needed]

Species [link]

File:Martial Eagle in Namibia.jpg
Martial Eagle in Namibia
Thermographic image of an eagle, thermoregulating using its wings
Philippine Eagle, Pithecophaga jefferyi in Southern Philippines
Wedge Tailed Eagle in Australia

Major new research into eagle taxonomy suggests that the important genera Aquila and Hieraaetus are not composed of nearest relatives, and it is likely that a reclassification of these genera will soon take place, with some species being moved to Lophaetus or Ictinaetus.[8]

FAMILY ACCIPITRIDAE

A Steppe Eagle in Lahore Zoo, Pakistan
Short-toed Snake Eagle in flight

Eagles in culture [link]

The modern English name of the bird is derived from the Latin term aquila by way of the French aigle. The Latin aquila may derive from the word aquilus, meaning dark-colored, swarthy, or blackish, as a description of the eagle's plumage; or from aquilo, the Latin version of Greek boreas, or north wind; however, aquilus and aquilo may just as well derive from aquila (or be unrelated) and the latter be of unknown origin.

Old English used the term earn, related to Scandinavia's ørn / örn. The etymology of this word relates it to Greek ornís, meaning "bird", though other Indo-European languages (such as Welsh eryr or Russian orël / орёл) show that the meaning 'eagle' is older. The Greek word may be an old diminutive. The Albanian word for eagle is "shqiponje" deriving from the root "shqipe", which means "eagle".

In Britain before 1678, eagle referred specifically to the Golden Eagle, with the other native species, the White-tailed Eagle, being known as the Erne. The modern name "Golden Eagle" for aquila chrysaetos was introduced by the naturalist John Ray.

Religion [link]

Garuda, the Vahana of Lord Vishnu, depicted with an eagle's beak and wings.

The Moche people of ancient Peru worshiped the animal and often depicted eagles in their art.[10]

Despite modern and historic Native American practices of giving eagle feathers to non-indigenous people and also members of other tribes who have been deemed worthy, current United States eagle feather law stipulates that only individuals of certifiable Native American ancestry enrolled in a federally recognized tribe are legally authorized to obtain eagle feathers for religious or spiritual reasons.[11] In Canada, poaching of eagle feathers for the booming U.S. market has sometimes resulted in the arrests of First Nations person for the crime.[12]

In Hindu religion, Garuda is a lesser Hindu divinity, usually the mount (vahanam) of Vishnu. Garuda is depicted as having the golden body of a strong man with a white face, red wings, and an eagle's beak and with a crown on his head. This ancient deity was said to be massive, large enough to block out the sun.

The eagle is also the patron animal of Zeus. In particular, Zeus was said to have taken the form of an eagle in order to abduct Ganymede, and there are numerous artistic depictions of the Eagle Zeus bearing Ganymede aloft, from Classical times up to the present (see illustrations in the Ganymede (mythology) page.)

Eagles as national symbols [link]

See also: Eagle (heraldry)
 This section is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (February 2012)
The coat of arms of Mexico - a golden eagle perched upon a cactus eating a snake
The coat of arms of Austria - a black eagle holding a hammer and a sickle, with a broken chain between its legs.

Eagles have been used by many nations as a national symbol.

Historic uses:

References [link]

  1. ^ del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Sargatal, J. (editors). (1994). Handbook of the Birds of the World Volume 2: New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Lynx Edicions. ISBN 84-87334-15-6
  2. ^ Shlaer, Robert (1972-05-26). "An Eagle's Eye: Quality of the Retinal Image". Science 176 (4037): 920–922. DOI:10.1126/science.176.4037.920. PMID 5033635. https://www.csee.wvu.edu/~xinl/library/papers/biology/eagle_eyes.pdf. Retrieved 2012-04-16. 
  3. ^ Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon; Comte De Buffon (25 November 2010). The Natural History of Birds: From the French of the Count de Buffon; Illustrated with Engravings, and a Preface, Notes, and Additions, by the Translator. Cambridge University Press. pp. 60–. ISBN 978-1-108-02298-9. https://books.google.com/books?id=sFmrk6_RBg8C&pg=PA60. Retrieved 18 February 2012. 
  4. ^ Rebecca L. Grambo (14 December 2003). Eagles. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0-89658-363-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=O5J8JK07QykC. Retrieved 18 February 2012. 
  5. ^ Grambo, Rebecca L (2003). Eagles. Voyageur Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-89658-363-4. 
  6. ^ Stinson, Christopher H (1979). "On the Selective Advantage of Fratricide in Raptors". Evolution 33 (4): 1219– 1225. DOI:10.2307/2407480. 
  7. ^ Ferguson-Lees and Christie (2001) Raptors, Helm Guides
  8. ^ Lerner, H. R. L.; D. P. Mindell (2005). "Phylogeny of eagles, Old World vultures, and other Accipitridae based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 37 (2): 327–346. DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.04.010. PMID 15925523. 
  9. ^ Bunce, M.; et al. (2005). "Ancient DNA Provides New Insights into the Evolutionary History of New Zealand's Extinct Giant Eagle". PLoS Biol 3 (1): e9. DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.0030009. PMC 539324. PMID 15660162. https://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0030009. Retrieved 2006-12-27. 
  10. ^ Berrin, Katherine & Larco Museum. The Spirit of Ancient Peru:Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1997.
  11. ^ Office of Law Enforcement. "National Eagle Repository". Mountain-Prairie Region. United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20071010032432/https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/law/le65.html. Retrieved 2007-11-20. 
  12. ^ Sin, Lena (2006-04-30). "Charges laid in eagle-poaching case". The Province (CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.). https://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=7037508c-70c7-4c47-9d3e-713a118e6b66&k=55151. Retrieved 2007-11-20. 

Further reading [link]

External links [link]

Look up eagle in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Eagles
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Eagle.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Eagles

lez:Лекь


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Eagle (ship)

Eagle was a freighter which was sunk intentionally near Lower Matecumbe Key, Florida, to become an artificial reef and diving spot.

Ship history

The ship was built in 1962 for Danish shipowners J. Lauritzen A/S at Bijkers Shipyard, Gorinchem, Netherlands, and named Raila Dan. In 1969 she was sold to the Dutch shipping company Poseidon and renamed Barok. In 1974 she was sold again, and renamed Carmela. She was then sold and renamed Ytai in 1976, and yet again sold, and renamed Etai the following year. In 1981 she was sold and renamed Carigulf Pioneer, and sold for the final time in 1984 and renamed Arron K. On 6 October 1985 the Arron K. caught fire while sailing from Miami to Venezuela, and was damaged beyond economical repair. On 19 December 1985 the ship was bought by the Florida Keys Artificial Reef Association, renamed Eagle Tire Co. and sunk as an artificial reef near Lower Matecumbe Key, Florida.

Wreck

Eagle lies approximately three miles north-east of the Alligator Reef Light, six miles off the coast of the Lower Matecumbe Key, in between 70–115 feet (21–35 m) of water. On 2 September 1998 the wreck was disturbed by Hurricane Georges and split into two separate pieces, 100 feet (30 m) apart.

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Eagle (crater)

Eagle is a 22-metre long impact crater located on the Meridiani Planum extraterrestrial plain, situated within the Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle (MC-19) portion of the planet Mars. The Opportunity rover came to rest inside Eagle crater when it landed in 2004. Scientists were delighted that the rover landed there, as the crater contains rocky outcroppings that helped prove that Meridiani was once an ocean floor.

Name

The name is a triple reference: in honor of the first manned spacecraft to land on the Moon in 1969; in honor of the launching country, the United States, whose symbol is an eagle; and in reference to the golf term eagle, referring to sinking a ball two strokes under par. The third reference extended the golf metaphor begun with a description of landing in the crater as "a hole in one".

Discoveries in the crater

Mission scientists were intrigued by the abundance of rock outcrops dispersed throughout the crater, as well as the crater's soil, which appeared to be a mixture of coarse gray grains and fine reddish grains. Upon closer, in-situ examination of the outcrops, whose layers are no thicker than a finger, it was confirmed that Meridiani Planum was once the location of an ancient, somewhat acidic and salty sea, though much more information on the history of this area would start being collected more than three months later, when Opportunity visited the much larger crater Endurance to the east.

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Sirocco (parrot)

Sirocco is a kakapo, a large nocturnal parrot, and one of the few remaining kakapo in the world. He achieved individual fame following an incident on the BBC television series Last Chance to See in which he attempted to mate with zoologist Mark Carwardine. Subsequent featuring of the incident on television channels around the world and on YouTube resulted in Sirocco becoming internationally known. In his home country of New Zealand, Sirocco has attracted thousands of people during 'personal' appearances, and in January 2010 was given the title of Official Spokesbird for Conservation by Prime Minister John Key. In this role, Sirocco helps advocate for conservation through human intermediaries on social media sites and blogs.

Biography

Sirocco was hatched on 23 March 1997 on Codfish Island off the west coast of Stewart Island, south of the New Zealand mainland. At three weeks old he suffered a respiratory illness which led to him being taken away from his mother, Zephyr, and hand-raised by Department of Conservation rangers.

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Sirocco (album)

Sirocco is the second album from Australian rock band Australian Crawl. It was released in July 1981 and on 3 August, it topped the Australian charts where it remained for six weeks, the band's first of two albums to hit #1. It was released a year after their successful debut The Boys Light Up which had reached #4.

The album was recorded in March-April 1981 in Sydney, New South Wales and produced by Peter Dawkins (Air Supply, Billy Thorpe, Dragon, John Farnham).

Sirocco spent eight months in the Top 20 and was their most successful album. 1981 Australian End of Year Album Charts has Sirocco at #2 behind Double Fantasy by John Lennon and ahead of AC/DC's Back in Black making it the best charting album by an Australian act.

The album was named after Australian born actor Errol Flynn's yacht and included the second single from the album, a lyrical biography, called "Errol".Sirocco was the Crawl's first US and European release.

Drummer Bill McDonough's younger brother Guy McDonough (co-lead vocals, rhythm guitar) had joined as their sixth member. Guy had already co-written tracks for their first album and now wrote or co-wrote five of Sirocco's eleven tracks including all three singles; he also provided lead vocals: "Errol" and "Oh No Not You Again". "Errol" was voted their third most popular song by listeners of Triple M in 2007. The other single from the album was "Things Don't Seem" which reached #11 and was their fifth most popular song in the 2007 poll.

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Sirocco (film)

Sirocco is a 1951 American film noir directed by Curtis Bernhardt and written by A.I. Bezzerides and Hans Jacoby. It is based on the novel Coup de Grace written by Joseph Kessel. The drama features Humphrey Bogart, Märta Torén, Lee J. Cobb, among others.

Plot

In 1925 Damascus, the Syrians are engaged in a guerrilla war against the French rule of Syria. Harry Smith (Humphrey Bogart) is an amoral American black marketeer secretly selling them weapons. As the situation deteriorates, French General LaSalle (Everett Sloane) orders that civilians be executed each time his soldiers are killed, but his head of military intelligence, Colonel Feroud (Lee J. Cobb), persuades him to rescind the plan. Feroud presses for negotiations with rebel leader Emir Hassan (Onslow Stevens) instead. LaSalle reluctantly lets him try to arrange a meeting, but refuses to let Feroud make contact directly. The young officer sent in his place is later found with his throat cut.

To complicate matters, Harry makes a pass at Feroud's unhappy mistress, Violetta (Märta Torén), but she rejects him. Later, she informs Feroud she wants to leave him, but he refuses to let her go.

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