Aquila gurneyi
Gurney's Eagle (*Aquila gurneyi*) is a magnificent, large raptor endemic to the New Guinea region, known for its powerful presence in tropical lowland forests. Measuring an impressive 74-96 cm (29-38 in) in length with a wingspan of 170-200 cm (5 ft 7 in-6 ft 7 in) and weighing 3.0-4.6 kg (6.6-10.1 lb), it stands as one of the larger true eagles (*Aquila*) in its specialized range. Adults are predominantly dark brown to blackish, a striking feature complemented by paler, often silver-grey, un...
Found in tropical lowland forests, forest edges, and primary to secondary rainforests, often near coastal areas or clearings, primarily below 1,500 meters (4,900 ft) elevation.
Its diet consists mainly of arboreal and ground-dwelling mammals like tree kangaroos, possums, and bandicoots, as well as various birds and reptiles, captured through opportunistic aerial attacks or perch-hunting.
Gurney's Eagle is a diurnal raptor, typically observed soaring high above the forest canopy or perched commandingly on emergent trees. Its foraging strategy involves either hunting from a high, concealed perch, making a powerful stoop on unsuspecting prey, or patrolling vast areas in a slow, deli...
Gurney's Eagle is a resident species, endemic to the island of New Guinea and its adjacent satellite islands, spanning both the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua, and the independent nation of Papua New Guinea. Its core breeding range encompasses tropical lowland forests across the mai...
Near Threatened
- Gurney's Eagle was named after the British ornithologist John Henry Gurney, who specialized in birds of prey. - Despite being a "true eagle" (*Aquila*), some taxonomic proposals have suggested placing it in its own genus, *Uroaetus*, alongside the Wedge-tailed Eagle, due to shared anatomical fe...