Jump to content

Aquila (bird): Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 26: Line 26:
''Aquila'' belongs to an extremely close-knit group of "typical" eagles. These include genera like ''[[Hieraaetus]]'', ''[[Lophaetus]]'', ''[[Ictinaetus]]'' and the [[extinct]] ''[[Harpagornis]]'', and all these appear to be [[paraphyletic]] with regards to the traditional ''Aquila''. Especially some, if not all, species of ''Hieraaetus'', separated primarily due to their smaller size, seem to belong here. The entire "typical eagle" group is in need of a thorough revision, and thus this species list cannot be more than a tentative one at present.
''Aquila'' belongs to an extremely close-knit group of "typical" eagles. These include genera like ''[[Hieraaetus]]'', ''[[Lophaetus]]'', ''[[Ictinaetus]]'' and the [[extinct]] ''[[Harpagornis]]'', and all these appear to be [[paraphyletic]] with regards to the traditional ''Aquila''. Especially some, if not all, species of ''Hieraaetus'', separated primarily due to their smaller size, seem to belong here. The entire "typical eagle" group is in need of a thorough revision, and thus this species list cannot be more than a tentative one at present.


Most problematic is certainly ''Hieraeetus'', the hawk-eagles. It is known that the [[type species]], the Booted Eagle, is very close to some ''Aquila'' eagles. Other hawk-eagles might indeed be distinct enough to warrant generic separation, but the name ''Hieraaetus'' is not available for them, being a [[junior synonym]] of ''Aquila'' as the Booted Eagle is included herein.The size is among the most variable among eagle species.The smallest Aquila eagle and among the smallest eagles is the Booted Eagle′ which measures just 47 cm (19 in) long ' 120 cm (47 in) across the wings and weighs just 700g (1.5 lb)in males and females close to 1 kg (2.2 lb). The largest Aquila eagle on average is the Golden Eagle which reaches 65-100 cm (26-39 in) long ' spans 1.90-2.25 m (6.2-7.4 ft) and weighs 3-3.55 kg (7-7.4 lb) in males and 3.6-6 kg (8.2-13 lb) in females . The longest bodied species however is the wedge-tailed Eagle which reaches 81-104 cm (32-41 in) long and its wingspan may equal the Golden Eagle .It is however outweighed by the Golden Eagle.
Most problematic is certainly ''Hieraeetus'', the hawk-eagles. It is known that the [[type species]], the Booted Eagle, is very close to some ''Aquila'' eagles. Other hawk-eagles might indeed be distinct enough to warrant generic separation, but the name ''Hieraaetus'' is not available for them, being a [[junior synonym]] of ''Aquila'' as the Booted Eagle is included herein.The size is among the most variable among eagle species. The smallest Aquila eagle and among the smallest eagles is the Booted Eagle′ which measures just 47 cm (19 in) long ' 120 cm (47 in) across the wings and weighs just 700g (1.5 lb) in males and females close to 1 kg (2.2 lb). The largest Aquila eagle on average is the Golden Eagle which reaches 65-100 cm (26-39 in) long ' spans 1.90-2.25 m (6.2-7.4 ft) and weighs 3-3.55 kg (7-7.4 lb) in males and 3.6-6 kg (8.2-13 lb) in females . The longest bodied species however is the wedge-tailed Eagle which reaches 81-104 cm (32-41 in) long and its wingspan may equal the Golden Eagle . It is however outweighed by the Golden Eagle.


* [[Bonelli's Eagle]], ''Aquila fasciata'' - formerly ''Hieraaetus fasciatus''
* [[Bonelli's Eagle]], ''Aquila fasciata'' - formerly ''Hieraaetus fasciatus''

Revision as of 22:34, 26 January 2012

Aquila
Aquila chrysaetos
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Accipitriformes
Family:
Accipitridae
Subfamily:
Buteoninae (disputed)[who?]
Genus:
Aquila

Brisson, 1760
Species

See text

Synonyms

Hieraaetus Kaup, 1844
and see text

Aquila is the genus of true eagles. It is often united with the buteos, sea eagles and other more heavyset Accipitridae, but more recently it appears as if they are less distinct from the more slender accipitrine hawks than believed. Eagles are not a natural group but denote essentially any bird of prey large enough to hunt sizeable (about 50 cm long or more overall) vertebrate prey.

Species

Aquila belongs to an extremely close-knit group of "typical" eagles. These include genera like Hieraaetus, Lophaetus, Ictinaetus and the extinct Harpagornis, and all these appear to be paraphyletic with regards to the traditional Aquila. Especially some, if not all, species of Hieraaetus, separated primarily due to their smaller size, seem to belong here. The entire "typical eagle" group is in need of a thorough revision, and thus this species list cannot be more than a tentative one at present.

Most problematic is certainly Hieraeetus, the hawk-eagles. It is known that the type species, the Booted Eagle, is very close to some Aquila eagles. Other hawk-eagles might indeed be distinct enough to warrant generic separation, but the name Hieraaetus is not available for them, being a junior synonym of Aquila as the Booted Eagle is included herein.The size is among the most variable among eagle species. The smallest Aquila eagle and among the smallest eagles is the Booted Eagle′ which measures just 47 cm (19 in) long ' 120 cm (47 in) across the wings and weighs just 700g (1.5 lb) in males and females close to 1 kg (2.2 lb). The largest Aquila eagle on average is the Golden Eagle which reaches 65-100 cm (26-39 in) long ' spans 1.90-2.25 m (6.2-7.4 ft) and weighs 3-3.55 kg (7-7.4 lb) in males and 3.6-6 kg (8.2-13 lb) in females . The longest bodied species however is the wedge-tailed Eagle which reaches 81-104 cm (32-41 in) long and its wingspan may equal the Golden Eagle . It is however outweighed by the Golden Eagle.

Fossil record

Numerous fossil taxa of eagles have been described.[1] Many have been moved to other genera, but several appear correctly assigned to this genus:

It is not clear whether "Hieraaetus" edwardsi (Middle -? Late Miocene of SW Europe) belongs into Aquila or the hawk-eagles (if the latter are indeed distinct). Its initial name, "Aquila" minuta Milne-Edwards, 1871, is preoccupied by a junior synonym of the Booted Eagle, Aquila minuta Brehm, 1831.

Not placed in Aquila anymore are:

"Aquila" danana (Snake Creek Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Loup Fork, USA), occasionally placed in Geranoaetus or Buteo, was a bird of prey of unclear relationships.

For paleosubspecies of living Aquila, see the species accounts.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Brodkorb (1962), Mlíkovský (2002)
  2. ^ Gaff, P.; Boles, W.E. (2010). "A New Eagle (Aves: Accipitridae) from the Mid Miocene Bullock Creek Fauna of Northern Australia". Records of the Australian Museum. 62: 71–76. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.62.2010.1557.
  3. ^ Mlíkovský (2002): p.194
  4. ^ Salotti et al. (2000)
  5. ^ [1]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aquila.
  • Mlíkovský, Jirí (2002): Cenozoic Birds of the World, Part 1: Europe. Ninox Press, Prague. ISBN 80-901105-3-8 PDF fulltext
  • Brodkorb, Pierce (1964): Catalogue of Fossil Birds: Part 2 (Anseriformes through Galliformes). Bulletin of the Florida State Museum 8(3): 195-335. PDF or JPEG fulltext
  • Salotti, Michelle; Bellot-Gourlet, Ludovic; Courtois, Jean-Yves; Dubois, Jean-Noël; Louchart, Antoine; Mourer-Chauviré, Cécile; Oberlin, Christine; Pereira, Elisabeth; Poupeau, Gérard & Tramoni, Pascal (2000): La fin du Pléistocène supérieur et le début de l'Holocène en Corse: apports paléontologique et archéologique du site de Castiglione (Oletta, Haute-Corse) [The end of the Late Pleistocene and the Early Holocene in Corsica: New paleontological and archaeological data from Castiglione deposit (Oletta, Haute-Corse)]. Quaternaire 11: 219-230. [French with English abstract] HTML abstract
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Aquila_(bird)&oldid=473412861"