Crowned solitary eagle

Crowned Solitary Eagle
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Subkingdom	Bilateria
Branch	Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass	Tetrapoda
Class	Aves
Sub-class	Neornithes
Infra-class	Neoaves
Order Information
Order	Accipitriformes
Sub-order	Accipitres
Family Information
Superfamily	Accipitroidea
Family	Accipitridae
Sub-family	Buteoninae
Genus Information
Genus	Buteogallus
Species Information
Species	B. coronatus
Synonyms	Harpyhaliaetus coronatus
Population statistics
Population	350-1,500 (2016 est.)
Conservation status	Endangered

The crowned solitary eagle (Buteogallus coronatus) is a species of bird of prey of the family Accipitridae, and found in much of eastern and central South America.

Description

The crowned solitary eagle is large, with a body length of 28.5 to 31 inches, a wingspan of 67 to 72 inches, and weigh 6.5 pounds. Females are slightly larger than males. Adults are ash-gray in color, with darker-gray upper wings and back. The broad wings are light gray and finely banded, with the tips of both primaries and secondaries dark gray to black. The short tail is also dark gray to black, with a single broad whitish stripe.

Range and habitat

This species is found in South America, from San Salvador de Bahia in Brazil to the northeast, to to area of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia, southwards to Neuquén in Argentina and the Chaco region of Paraguay. It lives in semi-open fields, from savannas and grasslands to areas of thin forest, occasionally reaching areas of closed field or gallery jungle. It is an occasional visitor to areas of low hills or marshes.

Threats

The crowned solitary eagle is one of the rarest birds of prey; its exact population is unknown, but it has been estimated between 350 to 1,500 individuals over an area of roughly 1,235,527 mi². It is listed in Appendix II of CITES, and in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay it is protected by law. Direct persecution, the destruction of habitat for agriculture and ranching, poison baits the dispersion of pesticides have been cited as causes for for its decline. Currently in the Telques Natural Forest Reserve of Argentina, research projects are being carried out aimed at learning their reproductive biology, diet, and other habits.