Photo: http://www.birdphotos.com / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Solitary Eagle
Buteogallus solitarius
Solitary Eagle (Buteogallus solitarius) — Birds of Prey of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 14 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Solitary Eagle (Buteogallus solitarius) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 3 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Buteogallus
- Species solitarius
Quick facts
- Weight
- 3 kg
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Endangered
Endangered
Critically Endangered
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Solitary Eagle preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Solitary Eagle is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Solitary Eagle (Buteogallus solitarius) is a member of the Accipitridae family, within the order Accipitriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Mexico to w, n SA.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 3 kg, with a wing length of about 52.6 cm and a tail of around 24.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 998,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Solitary Eagle?
The Solitary Eagle is a very large bird that weighs around 3 kg.
Where does the Solitary Eagle live?
The Solitary Eagle is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Mexico to w, n SA, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Solitary Eagle belong to?
The Solitary Eagle (Buteogallus solitarius) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Solitary Eagle eat?
The Solitary Eagle preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Solitary Eagle migrate?
The Solitary Eagle is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Solitary Eagle endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Solitary Eagle make?
1 real field recording of the Solitary Eagle — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Solitary Eagle's range?
The Solitary Eagle has a mapped global range of about 998,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Accipitridae
A field guide to the Accipitridae family — 254 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.