One of the 23 eagles on WAnimals
Birds · Accipitriformes · Accipitridae
Black-and-chestnut Eagle
Spizaetus isidori
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
The black-and-chestnut eagle, known in Spanish as águila poma or águila crestada real, is the great raptor of the Andean cloud forests, black and chestnut with a strongly marked upright crest. It hunts above all arboreal mammals, including monkeys, sloths and squirrels, which it surprises in the canopy. It is a low-density species that needs enormous territories of unbroken forest, and the fragmentation of the Andean forests, together with direct persecution by poultry keepers, has taken it to the endangered category.
Weight
1.6 kg – 3.1 kg
Size
60 cm – 80 cm
Lifespan
25 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
In pairs
Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Fun facts
- It is one of the few raptors in the world specialised in hunting mammals in the canopy of montane forest: monkeys, sloths and squirrels make up most of its diet.
- Its greatest immediate threat is not logging but shooting: it is blamed for killing chickens on Andean farms, and in several studies direct persecution caused more adult deaths than any other factor.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Montane cloud forest of the Andes, between 1,500 and 2,800 metres
- Sexual maturity
- 4 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 45 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 egg
Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 32 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Black-and-chestnut Eagle — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Near ThreatenedCrested Eagle
Morphnus guianensis
Least ConcernBlack-chested Buzzard-Eagle
Geranoaetus melanoleucus
Ornate Hawk-Eagle
Spizaetus ornatus
Near ThreatenedHarpy Eagle
Harpia harpyja
Helmeted Curassow
Pauxi pauxi
VulnerableAndean Condor
Vultur gryphus
How to help
The black-and-chestnut eagle is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 10 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about black-and-chestnut eagle.
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