Post-fledging behavior and prey of the Solitary Eagle

With just a few nests discovered to date, the Solitary Eagle (Harpyhaliaetus solitarius) is one of the least known birds of prey in the world. As such, there is very little information on the ecology and behavior of the Solitary Eagle at any stage in their lives.

In 2009, our team of biologists was working on an Orange-breasted Falcon conservation project in the Mountain Pine Ridge, Belize. Were able to observe a pair of Solitary Eagles and their fledged chick for several weeks. Here is an interesting article published on the Journal of Raptor Research on the post-fledging behavior of that juvenile Solitary Eagle. Our observations of this individual contributed to the overall understanding of this poorly known raptor. As a part of our mission for conservation, we hope to continue to provide observations essential for learning about rare species, via eBird or other means.

The Solitary Eagle is a large forest eagle native to the tropical forests of Central and South America. It is rare throughout its entire distribution. It can be confused with the Common Black Hawk, which has a similar shape and overall appearance. The Solitary Eagle, however, is much larger and more robust. It is usually seen soaring, but is rarely encountered when perched. For more information about the Solitary Eagle, check out this post.

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