filipino body length
Philippine Eagle Wingspan
Philippine Eagle Weight
Philippine eagle claw size
How big is the Philippine Eagle compared to a human?
How big was the biggest Philippine eagle ever?
How big an animal can a Philippine eagle catch?
Why is the Philippine eagle so big?
Philippine Eagle Compared to Other Birds
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When you think of the world’s largest eagle, what species do you think of? Majestic golden eagles all over the northern hemisphere? Or perhaps the Steller’s sea eagle that dominates the coastal waters of parts of Russia and Japan?
The critically endangered Philippine eagle (Australopithecus) is certainly a contender in terms of weight and reach, but how big is it really? If you want to see how the Philippine eagle stacks up against other giant birds of prey, read on.
Native to the tropical forests of the Philippines, the Philippine eagle is a large monkey-eating raptor with a wingspan of up to 2.02 meters (6 ft 7 in) and a weight of 8 kg (17.6 lb). Body lengths typically reach around 102 cm (3 ft 4 in), making them one of the longest raptors in the world.
As with most raptor species, female bald eagles are usually larger than males, but even the smallest male bald eagles weigh more than the largest male golden eagles and condors.
Not only is the Philippine eagle notable for its massive size and wingspan, it also possesses enormous curved talons that are larger and arguably as sharp as those of a tiger or lion.
Read on to learn more about the vital statistics of these giant raptors, and how their size and powerful claws allowed them to target large prey, including primates and even deer.
The Philippine Eagle is huge, with a wingspan of up to 6 feet 7 – over 2 meters!
filipino body length
In terms of body length, the generally accepted measurement from the tip of the tail to the end of the beak for Philippine eagles is between 90 cm and 102 cm (3 ft to 3 ft 4 in). There is no specific breakdown between male and female measurement ranges.
Among bird specimens in museum collections have been found the Philippine eagle, even larger in size than seen in its modern wild counterparts.
Philippine Eagle Wingspan
Female Philippine eagles have a larger wingspan than males. The different measurements of males and females do not differ, but the largest females at the upper end of the range often have a wingspan of more than 2 m (6 ft 6 in).
Philippine Eagle Wingspan Range: 184 to 202 cm (6 ft to 6 ft 7 in).
The Philippine eagle’s wingspan ranges from 184 cm to 202 cm (6 ft to 6 ft 7 in)
Philippine Eagle Weight
The Philippine eagle is one of the heaviest birds of prey in the world. Females are heavier than males, reaching a maximum weight of 8 kg (17.6 lb).
Philippine Eagle Weight Range: 4.7 kg to 8 kg (10.4 lb to 17.6 lb).
Philippine eagle claw size
The harpy tops the list of hawks with the largest claws, but the Philippine eagle has slightly shorter claws. An adult Philippine eagle has powerful claws, up to 10 cm (4 inches) long. These curved claws allow them to grab and carry prey up to four times their size.
Close-up of Philippine Eagle Talon
How big is the Philippine Eagle compared to a human?
Measuring more than a meter from tail to head, the Philippine eagle is larger than a human toddler and more than half the size of an adult eagle.
How big was the biggest Philippine eagle ever?
A Philippine eagle specimen from the Field Museum of Natural History collection in 1959 measured 112 cm (3 ft 8 in) in length.
Little is known about the origin of this particular bird, and one theory is that it has been kept in captivity, which may not reflect the species’ natural size range.
Close up portrait of a Philippine eagle
How big an animal can a Philippine eagle catch?
The Philippine eagle’s powerful curved claws allow it to grab and carry prey up to four times its size. Animals such as large monkeys, lemurs, civet cats and even fawns make up a large portion of their typical diet.
Why is the Philippine eagle so big?
The Philippine eagle’s dominant size and the devastating force that its massive talons can exert allow this species to take on large prey, including primates and civet cats, and carry them away efficiently.
A critically endangered species, the Philippine eagle uses its large size to its advantage in survival as they are considered the top predator in its range.
Closeup of a perched Philippine eagle
Philippine Eagle Compared to Other Birds
In terms of weight, the heaviest harpy eagles and Steller’s sea eagles are both about 1 kg (2.2 lb) heavier than the maximum mass of the Philippine eagle. These three are generally considered to be the heaviest three species of eagles in the world.
In terms of length, the Philippine eagle is often billed as the largest eagle, as a single specimen in a museum records it at 112 cm (3 ft 8 in).
However, this is outside the usual maximum height range for this species, and various data exist for other giant raptors, with some measurements suggesting that the longest harpy eagles and Steller’s sea eagles may have been several centimeters longer.
Several other raptors have larger wingspans than the Philippine eagle, and the white-tailed, stave-headed, wedge-tailed, and golden eagles all surpass the Philippine eagle in wingtip-to-wing size.
Philippine eagle nesting in Mindanao, Philippines
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Is the Philippine eagle bigger than the harpy?
Harpy eagles are heavier and longer than Philippine eagles using the average measured range of the two species. The Philippine vulture has a maximum length range of 102 cm (3 ft 4 in), while the harpy vulture has a maximum length range of 107 cm (3 ft 6 in).
The heaviest harpy hawk weighs about 1 kg (2.2 lb) more than the largest Philippine hawk, and the widest recorded harpy wingspan – 224 cm (7 ft 4 in) – is about 22 cm ( 9 inches).
How tall is the Philippine eagle?
The tallest Philippine eagle specimen, from a museum collection, is 112 centimeters (3 feet 8 inches) tall, which corresponds to a standing height of about 1 meter (3 feet 3 inches), in other words, about the height of a 6-foot man at the waist.
Is the Philippine eagle bigger than the American eagle?
The American eagle, officially known as the bald eagle, is not as heavy and long as the Philippine eagle. There may be a slight overlap between the largest female bald eagle and the smallest male Philippine sea eagle, but in general Philippine sea eagles are larger and heavier birds.
One area where there’s no competition between the two is wingspan. The majestic wing size of the bald eagle can reach up to 244 cm (8 ft), more than a foot larger than the same size of the Philippine eagle.
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I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
