Ornate Hawk-Eagle: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Small Hunters · day 1 of 7

Five facts

1. An ornate hawk-eagle's long crest can lie flat, stand up like a spike or hang in a curve. Its position hints at the bird's temper.
2. An ornate hawk-eagle can tackle healthy prey at least four times its own weight, even adult ocellated turkeys of 5 kg or more.
3. The ornate hawk-eagle hunts from perches inside the forest, then swoops on prey or chases it through the trees.
4. An ornate hawk-eagle almost always lays a single egg, and the young stay with their parents for a lengthy time after fledging.
5. Soaring over the canopy, the male whistles whi whee-whee-wheep, repeating the whee from two to nine times.

The quiz

1. What does the position of the crest hint at?

• Its age
• The bird's temper (correct)
• Its sex
• The time of day

The crest's position hints at the bird's temper.

2. How heavy can the ornate hawk-eagle's prey be?

• Never more than half its weight
• A tenth of its weight at most
• Exactly its own weight
• At least four times its own weight (correct)

It can tackle healthy prey at least four times its own weight, such as adult ocellated turkeys.

3. How does the ornate hawk-eagle often hunt?

• Perch-hunting inside forests (correct)
• Soaring over open plains
• Diving into rivers
• Hovering over open fields

It largely forages inside forests, often perch-hunting.

4. How many eggs does it almost always lay?

• Two eggs
• Three eggs
• A single egg (correct)
• Five eggs

It almost always lays a single egg.

5. How many times can the male repeat the whee?

• Once or twice
• Two to nine times (correct)
• Exactly four times
• Ten to twenty times

The male can repeat the whee anywhere from two to nine times.

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