Crested Eagle

About the Crested Eagle

The crested eagle (Morphnus guianensis) is a large neotropical eagle, the only member of the genus Morphnus. The crested eagle can grow up to 89 cm (35 in) long, with a wingspan up to 176 cm (69 in), and weigh up to 3 kg (6.6 lb). The plumage varies between a light brownish-gray to sooty gray or even blackish in some cases. It has a white throat and a dark spot on the crest and a small dark mask across the eyes. It ranges extensively throughout Central and South America, but not in large numbers, favoring tropical lowland forest. A powerful predator, its diet consist mainly of small mammals, rodents, snakes and smaller birds. Despite their large distribution, they are currently classified as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, due mainly to habitat loss

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name

Morphnus guianensis

Family

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

Order

Accipitriformes

Similar species

Other members of the hawks, eagles, and kites family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

• American Goshawk Astur atricapillus
• Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
• Bicolored Hawk Astur bicolor
• Black Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus tyrannus
• Black Kite Milvus migrans
• Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus melanoleucus
• Black-collared Hawk Busarellus nigricollis
• Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus
• Chinese Sparrowhawk Tachyspiza soloensis
• Common Black Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus
• Cooper's Hawk Astur cooperii
• Crane Hawk Geranospiza caerulescens