20 Largest Birds of Prey
From big vicious vultures, to majestic eagles and condors; Here are 20 Largest Birds of Prey !
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African Fish Eagle
You might notice that this bird bears a resemblance to the bald eagle of North America; in fact, the two birds are related … although this critter weighs about 8 pounds and is found in sub-Saharan Africa. They have wingspans greater than 7.5 feet. As you might guess, it feeds mainly on fish … and has specialized toes that can easily grip slippery prey. This eagle has quite a wide range, and serves as the national bird for 3 countries — Zimbabwe, South Sudan and Zambia.
Blakiston’s Fish Owl
Verraux’s (vair-OOZE) Eagle
This bird is also known as the Black Eagle and is a large raptor found in the mountainous regions of Africa. From bill to the tip of tail, they can measure some 38 inches, and weigh more than 15 pounds. It’s recognized as a uniquely specialized bird, with its distribution and history focused on its favorite species of prey — the rock hyrax. That’s a squat critter which resembles a guinea pig.
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Great Grey Owl
As measured by length, this is the world’s largest owl species … and is found across the Northern Hemisphere. But their size is kind of a deception. While they can reach some 30 inches long, their large head, exceptionally long tail, and fluffy feathers conceal a body that is actually much lighter than that of other large owls … these critters only weigh a little over 4 pounds!
Crowned Eagle
Bald Eagle
The bird of prey is actually known as a sea eagle … and is recognized as a national symbol of the United States. They’re documents as building the largest tree nests of any animal species … which can be 13 feet deep and more than 8 feet wide! They can weigh nearly 14 pounds and have a wingspan of 7.5 feet.
Golden Eagle
Cape Vulture
This Old World vulture is native to southern Africa … They’re among the largest raptors on that continent, weighing about 24 pounds, with wingspans around 8.5 feet. Did you know these robust critters lay only one egg each year?
Martial Eagle
Harpy Eagle
It’s also known as the American Harpy Eagle … In additional to being one of the largest eagle species in the world, it’s also the biggest and most powerful raptor known in the Americas. The fearsome critters have a wingspan exceeding 7 feet … and the heaviest documented weight was some 27 pounds. Possessing the largest talons of any extant eagle, these birds will hunt larger prey including deer!
Philippine Eagle
White Tailed Eagle
Considered a close relative to the bald eagle, this bird is a highly efficient hunter and scavenger. They’re found in Eurasia, in habitats of old-growth trees and open water. They can have wingspans of 8 feet, they can measure more over 3 feet long. They’re known to regularly steal food from otters, and other raptors.
Steller’s Sea Eagle
Wedge Tailed Eagle
Measuring around 3.5 feet long with a wingspan of more than 9 feet, this is Australia’s largest bird of prey … and is named for its unique, wedge-shaped tail. The large raptor can fly for countless hours without once flapping its wings. They’ve been known to team up to take down larger prey like red kangaroos … and are the only animals known to attack hang gliders and paragliders — likely to defend their territory.
Bearded Vulture
Griffon Vulture
It’s among the world’s largest vultures and true raptors, weighing close to 30 pounds with a wingspan around 10 feet. They’re mainly found in the higher elevations of the Himalayas, so they’re often called the Himalayan Griffon Vulture … but they’ve also been observed further south in Thailand and Singapore.
California Condor
Andean Condor (an-dee-un)
Did you know this is considered to be the largest flying bird in the world … at least as measured by their combined wingspan and weight. That wingspan can exceed 10.5 feet … and they weigh in at about 25 pounds on average. They prefer South America’s Andes Mountains, where elevations can reach 16,000 feet. At those extreme altitudes, the birds only need flap their wings occasionally to cover great distances.
Eurasian Black Vulture
