The Big 10

As the world’s top apex predators of the sky, these 10 eagles are an excellent barometer for the health of an ecosystem and for the planet at large. Of concern, five of them are currently under threat of extinction (endangered, vulnerable or near threatened) according to the IUCN Red List.

• PHILIPPINE EAGLE – CRITICALLY ENDANGERED 

• MARTIAL EAGLE – ENDANGERED

• HARPY EAGLE – VULNERABLE

• STELLER'S SEA EAGLE – VULNERABLE

• CROWNED EAGLE – NEAR THREATENED

• GOLDEN EAGLE – LEAST CONCERN

• WEDGE TAILED EAGLE – LEAST CONCERN

• VERREAUX'S EAGLE (BLACK EAGLE) – LEAST CONCERN

• BALD EAGLE – LEAST CONCERN

• WHITE TAILED EAGLE – LEAST CONCERN

THE KING OF THE AFRICAN SAVANNA

When one thinks of the king of the African Savanna, one would probably think of the lion. However, another creature with a strong claim to the throne is the Martial Eagle. 

According to Dr Gareth Tate at the Endangered Wildlife Trust: 

“The Martial Eagle is Africa’s largest eagle, and is an iconic figure of the African savanna. As apex predators, they are also vital barometers of healthy habitats across Africa. Despite being one of South Africa’s most charismatic eagles, the species is in trouble. Changes in reporting rates from bird atlas surveys suggest declines of up to 60% over the last 20 years (1987-1991 vs. 2007-present) across South Africa. Unfortunately, large protected areas are not insusceptible to these declines. For example, reporting rates in Kruger National Park, an area often considered a stronghold for Martial Eagles, recorded a 54% decline in reporting rates.” 

The massive drop in Martial Eagle numbers was also highlighted in a recent study published in the New York Times in January 2024.

Martial Eagles have extremely large territories and even an area as large as the Kruger National Park can only host a small number of them. They therefore frequently nest in farmlands, where they are often unfairly targeted by farmers, even though they rarely attack livestock. Their diet consists mainly of hares, hyrax, small antelopes, monitor lizards and big birds.

Major threats to Martial Eagles:

• Carcass poisoning. Farmers and poachers often deliberately poison carcasses inorder to kill predators in one of the most cruel and unnecessary practices that exists in the world today. Vultures and big eagles are typically the largest causalities of this poisoning – see the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Vulture Program for more information. 
• Habitat loss. The species has a heavy reliance on large protected areas.
• Persecution. Farmers often shoot Martial Eagles.
• Collision with powerlines, fences and wind turbines - they are very collision prone on wind turbines.
• Electrocutions on powerlines.
• Drowning in unsafe water reservoirs.

Martial Eagles only start to breed at around 7 years old and they only lay one egg every two years, which means they have very low population replacement levels. The death of one Martial Eagle can therefore have a major long-term impact on the species.

"A VERY PARTICULAR SET OF SKILLS"

Like Liam Neeson’s character in the film Taken, the Crowned Eagle has “a very particular set of skills” that make it perfectly adapted to hunting jungle animals such as vervet monkeys. This is no mean feat as these monkeys are incredibly difficult to catch. 

Unique adaptations of the Crowned Eagle include:

• A very long tail, which allows it to steer very effectively when flying through dense jungle. 
• Its wings are relatively short and stocky when compared to other eagles of its size, which means it takes up less space in the air when flying between trees and branches
• It has incredibly strong talons, which allow it to grab its prey when flying at speed. 

According to Dr Gareth Tate at the Endangered Wildlife Trust: 

“There aren’t many raptors that demand the level of respect that Crowned Eagles do. Not only for their raw beauty and vital role in the ecosystem as apex predators. This is largely owed to their temperament and incredible strength, particularly in their oversized dagger-like talons which have extraordinary crushing power to take down large prey. Working on and handling these eagles always requires that extra bit of caution to avoid serious injury. They are a true keystone species and guardians to Africa’s dwindling forests and form vital components of the forests they inhabit.”

THE KING OF THE AMAZON

The Harpy Eagle is widely considered to be the world's strongest and most powerful bird - they have massive talons and legs that are almost as thick as a human child's wrist. Along with the jaguar, they are the top apex predators in the Amazon and they reign supreme over the jungle. They prey primarily on relatively large tree-dwelling mammals like sloths and monkeys.

As the Amazon jungles’ top predator, their population serves as a vital barometer for the health of the jungle at large. They are sometimes referred to as an umbrella species, as they keep the populations of other rainforest animals in balance. For example, they pretty much single-handedly control the population of capuchin monkeys in the Amazon.

Unfortunately due to deforestation, the Harpy Eagle is struggling. It is currently listed as “vulnerable” and it could be moved to “endangered” soon if more deforestation occurs. Harpy Eagles are heavily at risk from logging. They tend to build their nests in the tallest trees in the jungle - where the branches rise above the average canopy layer - these large trees are being increasingly cut down, which places heavy strain on these iconic birds. Trees this large can take hundreds of years to regrow. Also, young (juvenile) birds in the nest are often killed when the trees are cut down.

The featured photo is of 'Ebony'. She is a Verreaux's Eagle at the Dullstroom Bird of Prey Centre. This special organization is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing raptors – while also educating the public about their importance.