Gurney's Eagle
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This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (July 2007) |
| Gurney's Eagle | |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Falconiformes (or Accipitriformes, q.v.) |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Genus: | Aquila |
| Species: | A. gurneyi |
| Binomial name | |
| Aquila gurneyi Gray, 1860 |
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Gurney's Eagle, Aquila gurneyi, is a large eagle in the family Accipitridae. It is found on New Guinea and adjacent smaller islands.
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[edit] Description
This eagle is a fairly large species, though mid-sized as a member of the Aquila genus. It is mainly dark brown to black, with paler undersides to its flight feathers and a rounded tail. Its body length is 74–86 cm (29–34 in) with a wingspan of between 1.65 and 1.9 m (5.4 and 6.2 ft). One immature bird reportedly weighed 3.06 kg (6.7 lb).[2] Females are larger than males. Its wings are held level when gliding. It feeds on mammals such as cuscuses.
[edit] Range and habitat
Gurney's Eagle is found in New Guinea and adjacent islands westwards to the Moluccas. It has been recorded from Saibai and Boigu islands in north-western Torres Strait, thus putting it on the Australian bird list. it inhabits rainforest, swamp forest, and adjacent cultivated and coastal areas.
[edit] Conservation
Gurney's Eagle occurs at low population densities and is likely to be declining slowly through habitat loss and degradation. Considered to be Near Threatened. Listed on CITES Appendix II.
[edit] References
- ^ BirdLife International (2004). Aquila gurneyi. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 28 Jan 2008. Database entry includes brief justification for why the species is of least concern
- ^ "Raptors of the World" by Ferguson-Lees, Christie, Franklin, Mead & Burton. Houghton Mifflin (2001), ISBN 0-618-12762-3
- BirdLife International. (2006). Species factsheet: Aquila gurneyi. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 9/12/2006
- Coates, B.J. (1985), The Birds of Papua New Guinea, Vol. 1, Non-Passerines. Dove: Alderley, Queensland. ISBN 0-9590257-0-7
- Morcombe, Michael. (2000). Field Guide to Australian Birds. Steve Parish Publishing: Queensland. ISBN 1-876282-10-X
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