The World’s Largest Eagles

Eagles are iconic, formidable, and impressively large birds of prey. Determining which eagles are the biggest in the world requires an examination of mass, length, and wingspan. The lens needs to be directed at all continents (save for Antarctica) and even back in time. It is also important to consider the collective averages versus the greatest individual dimensions ever recorded (in the wild or captivity). As you might suspect, overlapping bell curves create significant gray areas. The first entry on this list is clearly the apex eagle, but beyond that, some interpretation is required.

Golden Eagle (Aquila Chrysaetos)

The golden eagle is not only large but fast! In fact, it is second only to the peregrine falcon in terms of raw speed. Only these two species can reach the 200 mph threshold while diving for prey (mostly consisting of small mammals, as well as fish, birds, and reptiles). While soaring, the golden eagle can reach speeds of 30 mph. What is particularly impressive about these statistics is that they are logged by such a sizable creature. With an average wingspan of 7.2 feet, a height of about 33.1 inches, and weighing in at 13.5 pounds, the golden eagle is one of the largest birds in North America. The largest individual ever caught in the wild was a 17-pound female. However, in captivity, one golden eagle grew to a hefty 27 pounds, with a wingspan of 9.25 feet.

Harpy Eagle (Harpia Harpyja)

The Harpy eagle is the largest and most dominant raptor in the Amazon rainforest and is not far removed from the biggest in the world. This carnivorous predator has a wingspan of 5.75 – 7.3 feet, the largest talons of any living eagle, the ability to lift prey equal to its body weight (9 – 20 pounds), and it can reach a top speed of 50 miles per hour. It uses these tools to hunt a wide array of animals, including sloths, monkeys, porcupines, squirrels, anteaters, iguanas, snakes, other birds (and their eggs), such as the macaw, and many more. Harpy eagles have a vast territory spanning from Mexico down to Argentina, but their numbers are on the decline, and they are listed as “Near Threatened” (NT).