By now, we know a lot about the Eagles, how far they can see, why they lock talons, how they mate, and others. It is time to focus on a completely different perspective.
Have you ever wondered how much can an eagle lift? When we talk about it, the first question that comes to mind is, why does an eagle need to lift an object?
You asked it right. To learn how much can an eagle lift, we also have to learn under which circumstances, they need to lift an object or other creatures. The two are interconnected.
Let’s begin.
Do You Know?
- Eagles are large birds of prey. They are the apex predators and are popular for their majestic size and sharp eyesight.
- They belong to the family Accipitridae and are available on almost every continent.
- Eagles are at the top of the food chain and retain ecological balance by hunting populations of smaller animals.
- The sharp beaks and powerful talons contribute to their significant hunting skill.
- Eagles can carry prey nearly their body weight, including fish and small mammals.
- Trained Golden Eagles are special. They can lift and carry animals like goats over 60 pounds. It is mainly to help professional hunters.
Why Do Eagles Lift?
Eagles are incredible hunters. They lift objects or anything for survival and living. It can be due to several reasons. Here’s a sneak peek at it.
1) Hunt & Feeding:
Eagles are carnivorous. They prey on animals and lift them to carry them. They take it to their nest or high perch and eat it.
Since they are Apex predators, other predators would hardly feed on them. Rare but not impossible, they also have predators. The list includes owls, hawks, and other mammals like foxes, wolves, and bears.
Other birds of prey such as the scavengers may fight with Eagles to steal their food. Thus, it’s important to carry the food somewhere safe and consume it without any risk.
They also bring food for the young ones and often carry it with their nails. The talons are voluntary. If an eagle finds out that the food is too heavy to lift, it can easily let go.
2) War Over Territory:
Similar to other birds, Eagles are extremely territorial. They would have a blood bath to protect their territory from other birds.
They start to build their nest in early November or December. They are highly homesick and would get back to the same nest after a year. Hence, the nest must be strong enough to hold the babies & the adults together and survive for a long time.
The male eagle usually collects and brings the materials to build the nest. A lot of things can help them build their homes. The primary element is large sticks, often supported with grass, moss, seaweed, lichens, stalks, or even sod.
3) Training A Bird:
It might not always be a natural action. Some eagles are professionally trained by falconers. They train wild birds especially bald eagles, hawks, and falcons to fly to somewhere specific.
They also teach the birds to grasp the prey in the air and lift heavy weights. Such eagles become a partner in hunting and help humans to hunt other birds and animals. However, they are not sold as it’s completely unethical and illegal.
Laws have been made to conserve the birds and help them live and reproduce in peace.
In short, lifting object is not optional, rather it is a mandatory life hack that every adult eagles have to learn to survive healthily. So, now let’s get to how much can an eagle lift. Details below.
How Much Can an Eagle Lift?
It depends on which species of eagles are we talking about. There are over 60 different species of eagles found around the world. The largest ones are – The Harpy Eagle, Golden Eagle, and Bald Eagle.
They can lift comparatively more weight than other eagle species. Here is the explanation.
Golden Eagles:
The Golden Eagle is one of the strongest of other others. They can lift as much as the bald eagles and sometimes even more. There is evidence that they can lift up to 10 pounds, whereas they weigh around 15 pounds.
Their wingspan is surprisingly wide (around 8 feet) and it allows them to grab any heavy lifts, of the size of a newborn.
Bald Eagles:
Bald eagles are formidable birds. They generally lift around five to six pounds and are known best as fish hunters. They can swiftly grab in stealth from the water and lift a prey of their own body weight (6 – 10 pounds).
Bald eagles of larger size (above 10 pounds) can also lift an object of 10 pounds when they hunt at a certain speed.
Harpy Eagles:
They are perhaps the strongest birds on earth. No other birds are as strong as them. They have incredible speed and hunting skills. They lift relatively heavier prey than others.
Also, they are collectively found throughout Central and South America only. Till now, the record lifting weight by the harpy eagles is 18kg (40 pounds). That’s the size of a 2.5-year-old toddler!
Eagles are really powerful, the speed and power they imply with living is mostly incomparable. However, they do have limitations like any living creature.
It may vary due to factors such as age, weight, and injuries. Also, young eagles may not be as strong as mature ones, and smaller eagle species will naturally lift lower weights.
In Short,
You may need to learn how much can an eagle lift out of curiosity or you simply live in an area where wild eagles are around. If this is the case, closely monitor the little ones when they are playing outdoors.
Not even your pets are safe from their hard grip if left unnoticed. But don’t worry, it is very unlikely that they to abandon the wild and come and hunt in localization.
Stay safe and let the birds stay in peace too.
