Birds are beautiful feathery creatures that have wings to fly around, but eagles are not
birds, no they are not, what they actually are, are predators that happen to have wings
and accidentally look like birds.
Eagles are powerful predators, and they are just as dangerous as your equivalent lion,
shark or black mamba.
Could an eagle ever become a man-eater?
YES, and eagles have actually killed humans in the past, yes eagles have tested human
flesh.
So, for your consideration here are the six eagles that have actually killed people.
At number 1 is the harpy eagle, this eagle is often called the most powerful eagle in
the world, because it actually is.
It weighs up to 9 kilograms and measures 107 cm long in total body length.
Harpies mostly feed on monkeys, sloths and large birds such as macaws, plus iguana and
boa are also taken on occasion.
The harpy eagle’s power lies in its strong legs and talons, its talons are actually longer
than a grizzly bear’s claws and it has such a powerful grasp that it can break a man’s
arm or even pierce through his skull if it wanted to.
Also, harpies have been said to have snatched off small children but this has never been
confirmed.
The African crowned eagle is Africa’s most powerful eagle but it is not the largest eagle
in Africa.
It’s kind of unnerving to learn that this eagle often preys on animals weighing up to
35 kilograms, which may explain why Africans call it the leopard of the air.
The crowned eagle’s diet consists of monkeys, small antelopes as well as dogs and goats.
Its main killing weapon are its deadly talons, which are strong enough to crush the skull
of a monkey.
Crowned eagles are more aggressive than they are powerful and they are just as powerful
as the harpy eagle.
Skulls of human infants have been found in their nests.
Even in modern times, crowned eagles still see small humans as potential prey, so watch
out.
Of course, the monkey-eating eagle had to make it on this list, this magnificent bird
is found exclusively in the Philippines, where it has become a national symbol and the national
symbol has become an icon, and the icon has become a legend and the legend shall forever
live on.
The Philippine eagle can weigh up to 8 kilograms, it has a wingspan of 2.2 metres and it adorns
a spectacular shaggy mane.
It mostly feeds on monkeys, flying lemurs and even pigs and dogs.
Though it has never been known to attack humans, rumours of Philippine eagles snatching children
do exist, and I have to say just looking at the Philippine eagles gives me the chills.
And at number 4 is Aquila chrysaetos, the golden eagle.
The golden eagle is one of the best-known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere,
it is also one of the most formidable aerial predators in the world, that might explain
why it is the number one preference in falconry.
Golden eagles can weigh up to 7 kilograms and it has a wingspan of 2.34 metres, and
of course, females are larger and more aggressive than males.
The golden eagle usually feeds on rabbits, foxes, young sheep and goats, and it can even
hunt and kill wolves.
Although golden eagles are powerful enough to kill a man, they have never been known
to attack adult humans as prey, but let the record show golden eagles have attacked human.
And in some parts of Europe and Asia, stories are told about golden eagles snatching children
and the remains of the said children found in the eagle’s nest.
The martial eagle is Africa’s largest eagle, having an impressive wingspan of 2.6 metres
and weighing up to 6.5 kilograms, makes the martial eagle an incredible powerhouse to
reckon with.
This eagle is a very aggressive predator, it feeds on birds such as guinea fowl and
baboons, lion cubs, antelopes, and jackals.
And hey, listen to this, the martial eagle killed a 37 kilograms duiker just by strangling
it, and this is the largest known raptorial kill on the African continent.
Although it is said that the talons of the martial eagle could break a man’s arm in
a simple snap, there are no reports of this impressive eagle having a test of human flesh,
but a series of incidents in which a martial eagle attacked and killed one child as well
as injured two others was reported in Ethiopia in 2019.
Steller’s sea eagle is a larger and less known relative of the famous American bald
eagle.
It is, naturally, the heaviest eagle in the world, weighing up to 9.5 kilograms and having
a wingspan of 2.5 metres, it is one of the largest raptors in our world.
It has the largest and most powerful beak of any eagle.
Though it feeds mostly on fish, it sometimes attacks other large birds such as cranes and
swans, which can be very dangerous prey, by the way.
Steller’s sea eagle has never been known to see humans as prey, but if it wanted to,
trust me, it wouldn’t have trouble taking you down.
Eagles are some of the largest, mightiest, and most spectacular raptors in the world,
and because of the inherent fear we all have towards raptors and predators in general,
most of these eagles are endangered and they need our respect and protection, not fear.
Anyways thanks for watching, and be sure to Like, Comment and Subscribe.
See ya, Nightwing out.