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All 27 Eagle Species Ranked by How Powerful They Are — Transcript

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0:00All 27 eagle species ranked by how
0:04powerful they are. A harpy eagle can
0:06crush a bone with less effort than you
0:08use to crack an egg. A martial eagle has
0:11been seen knocking a grown man off his
0:13feet. And somewhere in the mountains of
0:15Ethiopia, an eagle exists that hunts
0:18almost nothing but small fuzzy
0:20rock-dwelling mammals, and somehow that
0:23diet alone makes it one of the most
0:25specialized killers on the planet. So,
0:27which one of these birds actually
0:29deserves the title of most powerful
0:31eagle alive? Today, we are going through
0:34all 27 recognized eagle species, from
0:37the one with the weakest punch to the
0:39undisputed heavyweight champion of the
0:41sky, and ranking them by raw physical
0:44power, grip strength, hunting ability,
0:48prey size, body weight, all of it
0:50counts. Stick around because the bird
0:53that takes the top spot is not the one
0:55most people expect, and the reason why
0:57might genuinely surprise you. Let's
1:00start at the bottom.
1:01Number 27, crested serpent eagle. At
1:05number 27, we have the crested serpent
1:08eagle. This bird is found across South
1:10and Southeast Asia, and it measures
1:12about 20 to 29 in
1:1551 to 74 cm in length with a wingspan
1:19stretching 4 to 5.5 ft, 1.2 to 1.7 m. It
1:25is not a heavyweight by any stretch.
1:28What makes this eagle interesting
1:30>> [music]
1:30>> is its job description. It specializes
1:32in snakes and lizards, picking them off
1:35with patience rather than brute force.
1:38It will sit quietly on a branch for long
1:40stretches, watching the ground, and only
1:42moves when it sees something [music]
1:44worth the energy. That patience is
1:46smart, but in terms of pure physical
1:49power compared to its 26 cousins on this
1:52list, it sits at the very bottom. Small
1:54body, small prey, small impact.
1:58Conservation-wise, it is doing fine,
2:00listed as a species of least concern,
2:03which makes sense. You don't need to be
2:05the strongest bird in the forest to
2:07survive. You just need a strategy that
2:09actually [music] works for you.
2:12Number 26, booted eagle.
2:15Climbing one spot up, we land on the
2:17booted eagle, found across Europe, Asia,
2:20and Africa. This one is genuinely small
2:23for an eagle, only 18 to 22 in,
2:2646 to 56 cm long, with a wingspan of
2:30roughly 3.5 to 4.5 [music] ft, 1.1 to
2:351.4 m. Its name comes from feathers that
2:38run all the way down its legs, like it's
2:41wearing little boots. It hunts small
2:43birds, reptiles, and even insects, which
2:46tells you everything about its place on
2:48this list. This is a quick, nimble
2:51flyer, not a brawler. Power-wise, it
2:54barely registers compared to the giants
2:56we are about to meet. What it lacks in
2:58muscle, it makes up for in
3:00maneuverability, twisting through tight
3:02gaps in foliage that a bigger eagle
3:04could never fit through.
3:06Number 25, Wallace's hawk eagle.
3:10At number 25 is Wallace's hawk eagle, a
3:13rare bird from Southeast Asia, named
3:16after the naturalist Alfred Russel
3:18Wallace. It runs 20 to 24 in,
3:2151 to 61 cm in length, with a wingspan
3:25around 4 to 5 ft, 1.2 to 1.5 m. It is an
3:31ambush hunter, attacking from hidden
3:33perches inside dense rainforest. Its
3:36prey list includes small mammals, birds,
3:39and reptiles. The strategy works because
3:41the forest hides it well, but in a
3:43straight contest of strength against the
3:45bigger eagles on this countdown, it
3:48simply does not have the mass or the
3:50muscle to compete.
3:52Number 24, Rufus-bellied Eagle.
3:55Number 24 belongs to the Rufus-bellied
3:58Eagle, a forest dweller from South and
4:00Southeast Asia with a reddish-brown
4:02belly that makes it easy to spot once
4:05you know what to look for. It measures
4:0724 to 28 in,
4:0961 to 71 cm long with a wingspan around
4:135 to 5.5 ft, 1.5 to 1.7 m. It is fast
4:19and agile, often grabbing birds midair
4:22or plucking them straight off branches.
4:25Speed is its weapon, not size. It is a
4:28skilled hunter, but it is working with a
4:30smaller frame than most eagles on this
4:32list. So, the raw power ceiling stays
4:35low no matter how sharp its reflexes
4:38get.
4:39Number 23, Lesser Spotted Eagle. At 23,
4:43the Lesser Spotted Eagle takes its
4:45place. Found across Europe and parts of
4:47Asia, it migrates enormous distances
4:50[music] to Africa every winter. Length
4:52runs 21 to 26 in,
4:5553 to 66 cm with a wingspan of 4.5 to
5:005.5 ft, 1.4 to 1.7 m. Its diet leans on
5:06rodents, birds, amphibians, and insects,
5:09which is a varied menu but not a
5:11particularly demanding one. This is a
5:13bird built for endurance flight over
5:15thousands of miles, not for overpowering
5:18large prey. Stamina over strength.
5:22Number 22, Tawny Eagle. Number 22 is the
5:26Tawny Eagle, found across Africa and
5:29parts of Asia. It measures 24 to 30 in,
5:3261 to 76 cm in length with a wingspan of
5:36around 5 to 6 ft, 1.5 to 1.8 m. And
5:42females can reach about 5 lb, 2.3 kg.
5:46Here's the twist with this one. It is
5:48more scavenger than hunter a lot of the
5:50time. It eats small mammals, birds,
5:53reptiles, and plenty of carrion. And it
5:56will straight-up steal food from other
5:57birds if given the chance.
6:00Opportunistic, adaptable, but not
6:02exactly a heavyweight fighter. [music]
6:04If there's an easy meal lying around,
6:06this eagle would rather grab that than
6:08burn energy chasing something that can
6:11fight back.
6:12Number 21, gray-headed fish eagle. At
6:1621, we have the gray-headed fish eagle,
6:19native to rivers and wetlands across
6:21South [music] and Southeast Asia. It
6:23runs 24 to 30 in
6:2561 to 76 cm long with a wingspan of
6:29about 5.5 to 6.5 ft [music] 1.7 to 2 m.
6:35Fish make up the bulk of its diet,
6:37snatched off the surface of the water
6:39with a quick, precise swoop. It will
6:41occasionally take reptiles or small
6:43mammals, too. It is a steady, reliable
6:46hunter, but fishing for prey that cannot
6:48fight back keeps this eagle out of the
6:51upper tier of raw power.
6:53Number 20, greater spotted eagle. Number
6:5620 is the greater spotted eagle, found
6:59in parts of Europe and Asia. It measures
7:0123 to 28 in
7:0358 to 71 cm in length with a wingspan
7:07around 5 [music] to 6 ft 1.5 to 1.8 m.
7:12It hunts small mammals, birds,
7:14amphibians, [music] and reptiles, and
7:17scavenges when food is tight. It is a
7:19migratory bird that relies on wetland
7:22habitats. And while it is a capable
7:24predator, nothing in its hunting record
7:27puts it anywhere close to the eagles
7:29that take down monkeys or antelope
7:32further up this list.
7:34Number 19, changeable hawk eagle. At 19,
7:37the changeable hawk eagle earns its
7:39spot. Named for the fact that it comes
7:42in both light and dark color forms.
7:44Found across South and Southeast Asia,
7:47it measures 24 to 30 in
7:5061 to 76 cm long with a wingspan of 4.5
7:55to 5.5 ft 1.4 to 1.7 m. [music]
8:00This bird hunts with sudden ambush
8:02attacks dropping fast from a perch onto
8:04birds, small mammals, and reptiles. It
8:07is genuinely fast and aggressive for its
8:10size, which bumps it up past several
8:12larger but lazier hunters on this list,
8:15proving that size alone never tells the
8:17whole story.
8:19Number 18, Bonelli's Eagle. Number 18 is
8:23Bonelli's Eagle found in Southern
8:25Europe, Africa, and [music] parts of
8:27Asia. It measures 22 to 28 in 56 to 71
8:32cm in length with a wingspan of 4.5 to 6
8:36ft 1.4 to 1.8 m. And females can weigh
8:41up to 6.5 [music]
8:42lb 2.9 kg. This Eagle is a serious
8:47hunter of fast-moving birds like pigeons
8:50and partridges plus rabbits on the
8:52ground. Catching pigeons in open air
8:54takes real speed and coordination, and
8:57Bonelli's Eagle has both. It punches
8:59above [music] its weight class.
9:01Number 17, Black Eagle. At 17, the Asian
9:05Black Eagle takes its place. Found in
9:08the forests and hills of South and
9:10Southeast Asia, [music] it measures 26
9:12to 30 in
9:1366 to 76 cm long with a wingspan around
9:185 to 5.5 ft 1.5 to 1.7 m. Its hunting
9:24style is unusual. It specializes in
9:26raiding the nests of other [music] birds
9:28eating eggs and chicks. That takes
9:30precision flying more than brute force.
9:33Gliding low and slow over the forest
9:35canopy to spot a nest before anything
9:38notices it coming. Smart hunter, but not
9:41a strength-based one.
9:43Number 16, mountain hawk eagle.
9:46Number 16 is the mountain hawk eagle, a
9:48powerful forest predator from the
9:50mountainous regions of Asia. It measures
9:5327 to 35 in,
9:5569 to 89 cm in length with a wingspan of
10:005 to 6.5 ft, 1.5 to 2 m. It hunts birds,
10:05mammals, and reptiles in dense hilly
10:08terrain, and it is built with the muscle
10:10to do real damage in close quarters.
10:13This is one of the stronger forest
10:15eagles on the list capable of fast
10:17controlled dives through tight tree
10:19cover where most predators would
10:21struggle. And local hunters in parts of
10:23its range have long respected it as one
10:26of the toughest birds in the mountains.
10:29Number 15, Spanish imperial eagle. At
10:3215, we have the Spanish imperial eagle,
10:35a rare and endangered found mainly on
10:38the Iberian Peninsula. It measures 28 to
10:4133 in, 71 to 84 cm long with a wingspan
10:46of 6 to 7 ft, 1.8 to 2.1 m. And females
10:51can weigh up to 7 lb, 3.2 kg. Rabbits
10:55make up most of its diet, but it also
10:57takes birds, reptiles, and carrion when
11:00needed. This eagle needs large
11:02territories to survive, and its hunting
11:05style mixes patient soaring with sharp
11:08fast dives.
11:09Number 14, eastern imperial eagle.
11:13Number 14 is the eastern imperial eagle
11:15found across eastern Europe and Asia. It
11:18measures 28 to 33 in,
11:2171 to 84 cm in length with a wingspan of
11:256 to 7 ft, 1.8 to 2.1 m. It mainly
11:30targets small mammals like ground
11:32squirrels and hares, plus birds and
11:35carrion. This eagle prefers open plains
11:37and grasslands where it can spot prey
11:40from a distance, and its build gives it
11:42a slight edge in raw power over its
11:45Spanish cousin, mostly thanks to a
11:47marginally heavier frame.
11:49Number 13, Pallas's Fish Eagle. At 13,
11:53Pallas's Fish Eagle takes its place. A
11:56large and increasingly rare bird from
11:58Central and South Asia. It measures 28
12:01to 33 in,
12:0271 to 84 cm long with a wingspan of 6 to
12:067 ft, 1.8 to 2.1 m. It hunts fish from
12:11large rivers and lakes, occasionally
12:13taking water birds or scavenging
12:15carrion.
12:17Its size puts it ahead of most
12:18fish-eating eagles on this list, and it
12:21needs that bulk since some of the fish
12:23it targets are not exactly small.
12:26Number 12, Steppe [music] Eagle.
12:29Number 12 is the Steppe Eagle, a
12:31long-distance migrant found across
12:33Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and parts
12:35of Africa. It measures 24 to 33 in,
12:3961 to 84 cm in length, with a wingspan
12:43of 5.5 to 7 ft, 1.7 to 2.1 m. And
12:48females can weigh up to 11 lb, 5 kg. It
12:53mostly hunts ground squirrels and small
12:55mammals, but during migration it will
12:57eat almost anything available, including
13:00carrion. That weight puts real force
13:02behind its dives, even if its everyday
13:04prey is on the smaller side. And during
13:07migration, these birds gather in huge
13:09numbers, sometimes hundreds at a time,
13:12riding the same wind currents across
13:14entire continents.
13:17Number 11, African Fish Eagle.
13:20At number 11, the African Fish Eagle
13:22earns its place. Instantly recognizable
13:25by its white head and that unmistakable
13:27call you've probably heard in a hundred
13:29nature documentaries. Found across
13:32sub-Saharan Africa, it measures 24 to 30
13:35in
13:3661 to 76 cm long with a wingspan of 6 to
13:418 ft 1.8 to 2.4 m and females can weigh
13:46up to 8 lb 3.6 kg. Fish are the main
13:50target snatched off the water surface in
13:52a precise low swoop. But this bird is
13:55strong enough to also take down birds
13:57and small mammals when the opportunity
13:59shows up and pairs are known to call
14:02back and forth to each other across
14:04rivers. A sound many people associate
14:07with the spirit of Africa itself.
14:10Number 10, bald eagle.
14:12Number 10 is the bald eagle, the
14:14national bird of the United States and
14:16one of the most recognized raptors on
14:18the planet. [music] It measures 28 to 40
14:21in
14:2271 to 102 cm
14:24>> [music]
14:24>> in length with a wingspan of 6 to 7.5 ft
14:281.8 to 2.3 m and females can weigh up to
14:3314 lb 6.4 kg. It is famous for fishing,
14:38but bald eagles are also known to harass
14:40[music] and rob other birds of their
14:42catches mid-air. A behavior called
14:45kleptoparasitism,
14:46which honestly is just a fancy word for
14:48being a bully with wings. They can dive
14:51at speeds around 75 to 100 [music] mph.
14:55121 to 161 km/h when hunting, which adds
15:00serious force to the impact. Number
15:03nine, Verreaux's eagle. At number nine,
15:06Verreaux's eagle, also called the black
15:08eagle, claims its spot. This African
15:11mountain specialist measures 30 to 38 in
15:1576 to 97 cm long with a wingspan of 6 to
15:197.5 ft 1.8 to 2.3 m. Its diet is almost
15:25entirely rock hyraxes, a small mammal it
15:28has built its entire hunting strategy
15:30around, and it is capable of carrying
15:33prey weighing several pounds back to a
15:36cliffside nest. Specializing this hard
15:39on one prey type sounds limiting, but
15:41Verreaux's eagle has turned it into a
15:43finely tuned killing method, and pairs
15:45often hunt as a team with one bird
15:48flushing a hyrax out of hiding while the
15:50other swoops in for the strike.
15:53Number eight, wedge-tailed eagle. Number
15:55eight is the wedge-tailed eagle, the
15:57largest bird of prey in Australia. It
16:00measures 32 to 42 in, 81 to 107 cm in
16:05length, with one of the widest wingspans
16:08of any eagle alive, up to 9.2 ft, 2.8 m
16:13in the largest females, and it can weigh
16:16up to 12 lb, 5.4 kg. It hunts rabbits,
16:21small mammals, birds, and carrion, and
16:24it is strong enough to take prey close
16:25to its own body weight off the ground.
16:28That wingspan alone makes it an
16:29intimidating sight gliding over the
16:32Outback. Number seven, golden eagle. At
16:35number seven, the golden eagle lands a
16:37high spot, and for good reason. Found
16:40across the northern hemisphere, it
16:42measures 26 [music]
16:43to 40 in, 66 to 102 cm long, with a
16:48wingspan of 6 to 7 .5 ft, 1.8 to 2.3 m,
16:54and females can weigh up to 15 lb, 6.8
16:58kg. This bird hunts rabbits, hares, and
17:01ground squirrels regularly, but it has
17:04also been documented taking down foxes
17:07and young deer. It can dive at speeds
17:09exceeding 150 mph, 241 km/h, [music]
17:15making it one of the fastest animals on
17:17Earth in a dive. And that speed converts
17:20directly into bone-crushing impact force
17:24on whatever it hits.
17:26Number six, white-tailed eagle. Number
17:28six is the white-tailed eagle, a massive
17:31sea eagle found across Europe and parts
17:33of Asia. It measures 26 to 37 in
17:3766 to 94 cm in length with a wingspan of
17:416 to 8 ft, 1.8 to 2.4 m, and females can
17:46weigh up to 15 lb, 6.8 kg. Fish make up
17:51most of its diet, but it regularly takes
17:53birds, small mammals, and carrion, too.
17:57And it has a reputation for stealing
17:59meals from other predators through sheer
18:01intimidation. Its size and weight alone
18:04make it one of the heaviest eagles in
18:06the entire northern hemisphere. And in
18:09parts of Europe, it has earned the
18:10nickname flying barn door, which
18:13honestly fits one you see one gliding
18:16low over a lake.
18:18Number five, martial eagle. At number
18:20five, the martial eagle takes a
18:22well-earned spot near the top. This is
18:24Africa's largest eagle, measuring 30 to
18:2738 in,
18:2976 to 97 cm long with a wingspan
18:33reaching up to 8.5 ft, 2.6 m, and
18:37females weighing up to 14 lb, 6.4 kg.
18:42Its name literally means warlike, and
18:44the reputation is deserved. There are
18:47documented accounts of martial eagles
18:49knocking grown men off their feet and
18:51taking down young antelope and other
18:53surprisingly large mammals. This bird
18:56hunts in open savanna where there's
18:58nowhere to hide, relying on raw speed
19:00and overwhelming strength once it
19:03commits to an attack.
19:05Number four, crowned eagle. Number four
19:07belongs to the crowned eagle, a
19:09forest-dwelling powerhouse from
19:11sub-Saharan Africa.
19:13It measures 31 to 39 in,
19:1679 to 99 cm in length with a wingspan of
19:205 to 6 ft, 1.5 to 1.8 m, and females can
19:25weigh up to 10 lb, 4.5 kg. Don't let the
19:30smaller wingspan fool you. This is
19:32widely considered one of the strongest
19:34[music] eagles relative to its size
19:36anywhere in the world. It regularly
19:39takes down monkeys and small antelope,
19:41animals that can weigh up to four times
19:43its own body weight using a strike and
19:46wait method. Hit hard enough to injure,
19:49then track the prey until it can no
19:51longer fight or flee. Researchers
19:53studying old nest sites in Africa have
19:56even found remains of human ancestors
19:58among the prey debris, a detail that
20:00says everything about how this bird
20:03earned its reputation.
20:05Number three, Steller's sea eagle. At
20:08number three, Steller's sea eagle claims
20:10a podium finish as the heaviest eagle on
20:12the planet. Native to coastal
20:14northeastern Asia, it measures 33 to 41
20:18in,
20:1984 to 104 cm long with a wingspan
20:23reaching 8 ft, 2.4 m, and females can
20:27weigh up to 20 lb, 9 kg. Its massive
20:31yellow-orange beak is built to tear into
20:34large salmon, and this bird is strong
20:36enough to pull fish weighing several
20:38pounds straight out of the water in one
20:41motion. Pure mass gives it an advantage
20:43that smaller, faster eagles simply
20:46cannot match in a head-to-head contest
20:48of strength.
20:50Number two, Philippine eagle. Number two
20:52is the Philippine eagle, one of the
20:54rarest and most endangered birds of prey
20:57on Earth, found only in the forests of
21:00the Philippines. It measures 34 to 40
21:02in, 86 to 102 cm in length with a
21:06wingspan of 6.5 [music] to 7 ft, 2 to
21:102.1 m, and females can weigh up to 18
21:14lb, 8.2 kg. Locals call it the
21:17monkey-eating eagle, and that nickname
21:20is accurate. It hunts monkeys, flying
21:23lemurs, civets, and large birds through
21:25dense rainforest canopy, snatching prey
21:28straight off branches with talons strong
21:30enough to pierce through fur and [music]
21:32muscle in one grip. It is also
21:35considered the largest eagle alive in
21:37terms of body length and total wing
21:40surface area.
21:41Number one, harpy eagle. And at number
21:44one, the most powerful eagle on the
21:46planet is the harpy eagle. Found in the
21:49lowland rainforest of Central and South
21:51America. [music]
21:52It measures 34 to 41 in,
21:5586 to 104 cm long, with a wingspan of
21:596.5 to 7.5 ft, 2 to 2.3 m, and the
22:05largest females have been recorded at up
22:07to 22 lb, 10 kg. Here's the part that
22:12actually separates the harpy eagle from
22:14everything else on this list. Its talons
22:16are roughly the size of a grizzly bear's
22:19claws, [music] and its grip strength is
22:21strong enough to crush bone almost
22:23instantly. It can lift prey equal to, or
22:26in some cases even heavier than its own
22:29body weight, straight up into the
22:31canopy. Its main targets are monkeys and
22:34sloths, animals that are not exactly
22:36defenseless, yet the harpy eagle handles
22:39them with a kind of effortless violence
22:42that nothing else on this list can
22:43match. Other eagles are faster in a
22:46dive, some are heavier, some have wider
22:49wingspans, but when it comes to pure
22:51crushing, gripping, prey-snatching
22:53power, nothing flying today beats the
22:56harpy eagle. So, there you have it. All
22:5927 eagle species ranked from the
23:02smallest snake hunter to the rainforest
23:05heavyweight that can pluck a monkey off
23:07a branch like it's nothing. If your
23:09favorite eagle landed lower than you
23:11expected, that's not a knock on the
23:13birds. Plenty of these species survive
23:15through speed, patience, or
23:17specialization
23:19rather than brute strength. Power is
23:21just one way to measure what makes a
23:22predator successful, and honestly every
23:25single bird on this list has figured out
23:28a way to survive in a world that does
23:30not make survival easy. Let me know in
23:32the comments which eagle surprised you
23:34the most and which one you think
23:36deserves a higher spot on [music] this
23:38list.

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