Crested Eagle (Morphnus guianensis)

About Crested Eagle (Morphnus guianensis)

• Kingdom: Animals
• Phylum: Chordates
• Class: Birds
• Order: Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies
• Family: Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

The crested eagle is a large Neotropical eagle, and the only member of the genus Morphnus. The crested eagle can grow up to 89 cm (35 in) long, with a wingspan up to 176 cm (69 in), and weigh up to 3 kg (6.6 lb). The plumage varies between a light brownish-gray to sooty gray or even blackish in some cases. It has a white throat and a dark spot on the crest and a small dark mask across the eyes. It ranges extensively throughout Central and South America, but not in large numbers. favoring tropical lowland forest. A powerful predator, its diet consist mainly of small mammals, rodents, snakes and smaller birds. Despite their large distribution, they are currently classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN, due mainly to habitat loss