The biggest birds of prey in the world! From a bird once declared extinct in the wild to a species that nests as high as 16 thousand feet.


#8 Bald Eagle

The national bird of the United States was a natural choice for the North American country, despite the best efforts of Benjamin Franklin who famously rallied on behalf of the turkey. Majestic, powerful, and dominant on the continent, the Bald Eagle represents everything a nation could hope to be. Sporting an iconic white plumage atop brown feathers covering the rest of its body, this species of eagle can be found soaring all across the continent from Alaska to Mexico. Bald Eagles will grow up to 40 inches long, can attain a potential wingspan of 7 feet and 7 inches, and will weigh as much as 13.9 pounds. Even the newborn offspring of these grand raptors are surprisingly large, forcing parents to seek out massive trees capable of housing nests that measure as wide as 10 feet across and 20 feet deep! Though once thought to be at risk of extinction, the Bald Eagle has bounced back tremendously in the last few decades, having been removed from the U.S. government’s endangered species list in 1995.

#7 Philippine Eagle

Adorned with shaggy, hair-like plumage on its crest, a blue-gray beak, and a tuft of fuzzy feathers on its chest, the Philippine Eagle has a unique look to complement its large size. The 34-to-40 inch long bird is the national bird of the Philippines and is considered to be among the most powerful birds in the world. Critically endangered from mass deforestation, it also happens to be one of the rarest. In hopes of protecting this bird of prey, the Philippine government has made it illegal to exterminate this species with a sentence of up to 12 years in prison along with large fines. This hunter is prone to feed on nearly any animal in their region, capturing anything from bats, squirrels and snakes to small dogs and even macaques, earning its name other name as the monkey-eating eagle. It is an apex predator of its ecosystem, and with a possible wingspan of 7 feet and 3 inches, and a weight of up to 17.6 pounds, it’s no wonder this high-flying prowler retains such dominance.

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