Eagle
Spizaetus ornatus
POPULATION STATUS
Near Threatened
BODY LENGTH
22.0 to 27.0 in
WINGSPAN
3 ft 10 in to 4 ft 8 in
WEIGHT
1.8 – 3.8 lbs
Who They Are
Ornate Hawk-Eagle: Hatch date is unknown, 1978 (Spizaetus ornatus)
Where They Originate
Ornate hawk-eagles are native to southeastern Mexico, eastern parts of Central America, the Amazon rainforest, ranges in southeastern Brazil in the Atlantic Forest, and dry tropical forests.
Their Role at Avian Behavior International
This lovely lady came to us to ease into retirement after living a life with a breeding mate. When she lost her mate, she came here to help us talk about the complex nuances of deforestation in Central and South America and the importance of biodiversity. Her calm, low-stress demeanor allows us to work with her at her own pace, which gives us ample resources for helping other professional bird of prey trainers and educators in the Avian Behavior Lab.
How You Can Meet Her
You can visit her during our farm aviary tours
Likes and Dislikes
Likes: Taking long showers
Dislikes: Being rushed
What You Might Not Know About These Birds
Ornate hawk-eagles, like many large bird of prey species, are naturally scarce, but they are likely on the decline due to habitat fragmentation and human disturbance
Ornate hawk-eagles are opportunistic foragers attracted to conspicuous prey, and they have up to 100 prey species in their diet