Eagles Everywhere!

Over 25 countries use some variety of an eagle in their national symbol.

Picture from All About Birds

Including The United States, Austria, Germany, Iceland, Mexico, Iraq, Panama and Russia.  The eagles can also be found in various uses throughout history.  For example, Napoleon I used the Roman Golden Eagle as the symbol of his new French empire.  Also, during the 1930s and 1940s Hitler's Nazi Germany used a black eagle with its wings outstretched and clutching a swastika as its insignia.  While there are numerous college sports teams with an eagle as the mascot, only two major league teams use one.  The NFL's Philadelphia Eagles and MLS's D.C. United.

Harpy Eagles - Predators Of The Rainforest

It's natural that Americans tend to picture eagles only as bald eagles, the majestic symbol of our country. We forget that are other kinds of eagles, and not all of them look as regal (or as friendly) as the baldies. Especially the harpy eagle.

Come on, doesn't he look mean? We wouldn't want to mess with him!

The harpy eagle is the largest and most powerful raptor in the Americas, with adults weighing between 6 to 11 pounds. Harpy eagles live in the rainforest and are at the top of the food chain. They hunt from the tree canopy, feeding on small, tree-dwelling mammals such as sloths and monkeys. Their talons are extremely powerful and can kill prey within second. These talons also make the eagles capable of picking up and flying with prey that weighs the same as them.

A few random facts about the harpy eagle: It is the national bird of Panama and is depicted on the Panamanian coat of arms (looking more like a bald eagle, though). The harpy eagle was also the inspiration behind the design for Phawkes, the phoenix in the "Harry Potter" series.

The All-American Eagle

The 4th of July is tomorrow, and what better time to feature some of our most patriotic items? Really, it doesn't get much more American than the eagle, the symbol of our nation. Bonus: All of these would be great decorations or props if you're hosting an Olympics party later this month! Go U.S.A!

 Freedom Wall Hanging

Stuffed Bald Eagle

Forever Free Jigsaw Puzzle

 Patriotic Eagle Thermometer

 Bald Eagle Figurine

 Cuddlekins Bald Eagle

Lone Star Eagle T-shirt

Colbert The Eagle

Liberty The Eagle Zibbie

Visit our website to see our full selection of eagle toys and gifts!

The Long-Crested Eagle

Visually the complete opposite of the bald eagle, the long-crested eagle has perhaps the most striking hairdo of any bird of prey.

 

 

Photo: D. Gordon E. Robertson

Long-crested eagles inhabit all types of woodland areas throughout parts of Senegal, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Namibia. At less than two feet long they are quite small for eagles, and thus feed primarily on small rodents and lizards. Long-crested eagles aren’t currently considered threatened, but any loss of woodland habitat can have a negative effect on their population.

The Osprey - Fish Hunter

The osprey is a large bird of prey that can be found on every continent except Antarctica. It is one of the most wide-ranging species of bird in the world and is uniquely separate from sea eagles such as the bald eagle.

Ospreys are very large raptors with an average body length of over two feet and a wingspan of up to six feet. Females are slightly stouter in the body than males and have wider wings, but both weigh between 2-5lbs. Ospreys are dark brown to grey on the top of their bodies with a predominantly white underside. They have white feet with black talons and can be easily identified in flight by the four finger-like feathers on their wingtips.

As they feed exclusively on fish, ospreys almost always live near water. They are only permanent residents in the subtropical northern hemisphere, but can be found as far north as Alaska during the summer and as far south as Argentina during the northern winter.

The osprey has developed into a very specialized fish hunter and has incredible eyesight to spot underwater prey from high altitudes. Once a fish is spotted, the osprey will hover momentarily before making its dive, snatching the fish out of water with rough talons specifically designed to grasp slippery prey. The osprey will usually carry the fish back to its nest held head first to maximize aerodynamics. More rarely ospreys will hunt small mammals and reptiles if necessary. A fully-grown adult osprey is considered an apex predator in most habitats and does not face a threat from other birds. However, from time to time larger bald eagles have been known to steal the smaller osprey’s kills.

Ospreys will readily nest on man-made structures. Special osprey nesting platforms have been constructed in many locations to help reestablish the species in areas where it is no longer common. The oldest osprey on record lived to be over 30 years old.

Flying Squirrels - Animal Hang Gliders

Despite their name, flying squirrels not actually capable of powered flight. Instead, they use a furry patch of skin between their wrists and ankles as a sort of parachute, allowing them to glide hundreds of feet between trees.

There are 44 species of flying squirrel spread throughout almost every temperate climate in the world. Though habitats vary by species, most can be found in woodland areas where tall trees can help the squirrels avoid ground-based predators.

Unlike ground squirrels and tree squirrels, flying squirrels are almost completely nocturnal. This behavior is one of necessity as they are unable to escape from large birds of prey such as hawks and eagles during the day. However, they are still exposed to predation from several species of owls at night.

Flying squirrels are omnivorous and vary their diet based upon what is available. Common food sources include many types of nuts, fungi and berries as well as small insects and bird eggs. Like all squirrels, flying squirrels do not hibernate and can live in dens of up to 50 individuals during cold winter months, usually in hollowed out trees or abandoned bird nests.

Bald Eagles Steal Food

Eagles are famous birds of prey; however, they actually get a lot of their meals by scavenging or stealing the kill of other animals. In fact, this thievery is a big reason why Ben Franklin argued against the bird being used as the United State's national symbol.

Bonus fact: The largest bald eagle nest was 9.5 feet wide and 20 feet high, weighing more than two tons!

National Bird: The Bald Eagle

Believe it or not, the Fourth of July is this Friday! This week at The Jungle Store blog we will be learning about the national emblem and the official U.S. state animals.

Let's start with the best-known patriotic animal, our national emblem, the bald eagle. In 1782 the bald eagle found itself in this position thanks to its long life, great strength and majestic looks, and also back then it was believed to only exist on this continent.

It is said the eagle was used as a national emblem because, at one of the first battles of the Revolution, the noise of the struggle awoke the sleeping eagles on the heights and they flew from their nests and circled about over the heads of the fighting men, all the while giving vent to their raucous cries. "They are shrieking for Freedom," said the patriots.

The Great Seal (adopted in 1782) shows a wide-spread eagle, faced front, having on his breast a shield with thirteen perpendicular red and white stripes, and a blue field with the same number of stars.

To learn more about the national emblem, visit Bald Eagle Info.

Animal Architects - Other Birds

Bowerbirds aren't the only birds who build extravagant or fascinating nests. The bald eagle uses sticks and branches (not mere twigs) to build a nest anywhere from 5 to 9 feet wide. The nesting pair will use the same nest year after year, adding to and repairing the structure as needed. Bald eagle aeries have been known to weigh as much as 2 tons – that's the same as 2 mini coopers.

The Warbler builds a much smaller nest, literally creating the sides of the nest around its own body. The warbler gathers grass and stems, clumping them in to the fork of a tree. Then it sits in the middle of this debris and rotates itself, pushing with chest and feet to develop a cup shape. Once this base is established it will twine grass together to strengthen the nest's structure. The warbler will line the nest with hair from animals or people (it doesn't care which) and finish the edging with spider's silk. The warbler collects the spider threads and, after arriving back at the nest, brushes them off its beak onto the nest's twigs. As the silk adheres to the nest, the warbler draws the threads out and weaves them into the rim of the nest, making it smooth and strong.

Don't have branches, grass, silk or someone else's hair to build with? Then how about your own spit? The Edible-nest Swiftlet makes its nest out of saliva. The male of the species can produce condensed saliva from a special salivary gland in its throat. The extruded spit resembles strands of clear spaghetti. The swiftlet forms the strands into a pseudo-cuplike shape, attaching it to a vertical surface such as a cliff face. The strands harden as they are exposed to the air. They most be glorious to see, glistening on the cliff sides in their hundreds. Unfortunately, these nests are primary ingredients in the Asian delicacy, Bird's Nest Soup. Poachers are no longer waiting for chicks to fledge before they take the nests, thereby driving this species towards extinction.
I'll be turning my attention away from birds tomorrow. I've had the pleasure of seeing our next structure and it's very impressive. Want to try and guess at the next architect? Here's a hint. If humans were to build something similar, we would produce a skyscraper . . . 6 miles high!

Thank you Paul Bolstad from the University of Minnesota for bald eagle nest picture.

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day!!

We've still got a lot of work to do, but let's celebrate what's been accomplished.

Deforestation of the Brazilian Rainforest has dropped by another 47%, following a 4 year trend.

Over 1,996,792,933 trees have been planted by the UNEP with another 3,511,630,487 trees pledged to be planted.

Of the over 1,300 animals on the Endangered Species list, 93% have stabilized their populations and made movement towards recovery. One of the most successful species is the American Bald Eagle. Listed in 1967, Bald Eagle populations have soared from about 400 in 1963 to more than 9,700 in 2006.

Remember your three R's – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. It can be even more rewarding than that shopping spree. And without the bill.

Animals In Golf

Some animal references in golf aren't a good thing. You don’t want to be in the kitty litter or in the frog hair, but, when it comes to scoring, the more animals the better. Every course is laid out with 9 or 18 holes. Each hole is a different length from tee box to pin (or flag). The number of shots the course designers believe are necessary to make it from tee box to pin is called par. (Golf course designers are the most optimistic people on earth.)
If you hole out one shot below par, you've scored a "birdie." I remember the first time I had the opportunity to score a birdie. As I wasted time, pretending to study the putting green so I could calm my nerves, my sister said, "Hey. Did you know that if you make this putt, you'll make birdie. I don't think you've ever done that before." Needless to say, I still haven't.
If you sink your ball two strokes below par, you’ve Eagled. Makes sense. An eagle is a larger and grander animal than a mere birdie. So what is it when you shoot 3 strokes below par? Here in the United States, it is generally called a Double Eagle, but once upon a time it had a more interesting name. 3 under par used to be called an Albatross – a much larger and grander animal than a mere eagle.

When Samuel Coleridge wrote his poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” the albatross went from being a bird of good fortune to being an omen of misery, a burden. And so, an albatross in golf became a double eagle. After all, what golfer wants to hang an albatross on his score card? 

Photo: Gonzalo Vasquez