Eagle (biology)
The term eagle (from Middle High German adelar [e] for 'noble Aar', where Aar denotes eagles and eagle-like eagles) is in the broader sense a collective term that is not precisely defined for large and powerful species of birds of prey in the hawk-like family , such as for the genus of the white-tailed eagle , the short-toed eagle or the Philippine eagle . In a narrower sense, the name eagle stands for the genus real eagles (Aquila) and the species belonging to it . Its largest living representative is the golden eagle . In addition to the hawk-like species, the German includes the osprey , which is part of its own family, among the eagles.
With a span of up to 3 meters, the Haastadler (Harpagornis moorei), which became extinct around 1400 AD, is the largest known eagle. Its habitat was on New Zealand .
Systematics
Class : Birds (Aves); Order : birds of prey (Accipitriformes); Family : Hawks (Accipitridae); Subfamily : Aquilinae ; Genus : Real eagles (Aquilae).
Species (examples): Imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) with a wingspan of up to 2.15 meters, widespread in the Mediterranean and Asia; Spotted Eagles (Aquila pomerina) with up to 1.70 meter wingspan, distributed in India, Turkey, Eastern Europe, Germany; Greater spotted eagle (Aquila clanga) with a wingspan of up to 1.85 meters, common in water-rich areas.
Hunting and breeding
The extraordinary visual acuity of their eyes allows all eagles to spot and hunt their prey from a great height. Their main prey are ground-dwelling vertebrates, primarily mammals. They rarely feed on carrion. Eagles are very well adapted to using updrafts to fly. The eagle grabs the prey with its fangs when knocking down from the flight. Three of its toes point forward, the rear claw pierces the prey body with a pincer movement. The grip suffocates the prey.
As a rule, the female lays two to three eggs in the nest made of twigs (eagle's nest). However, often only one of the boys is raised. All eagle species are protected, their existence is endangered by human influence.
Art and symbolism
The art of the ancient Orient uses the eagle in many variations as a symbolic animal. As early as 3000 BC The hybrid lion eagle can be found in Mesopotamian representations. Double-headed eagles are from Babylonia in the 23rd century BC. Known. The ancient world knows countless images of the eagle on vases, objects of daily use, coins and pieces of jewelry as well as in architecture on reliefs , acroteries and gables .
Since the 5th century AD, the Goths made large eagle brooches and buckles with eagle heads. Figurative representations of capitals decorated with eagles are known from the Romanesque period of the Middle Ages . Also noteworthy are the eagle lecterns of Christian altar rooms. In painting, the eagle often appears as a symbol for the evangelist John .
In the traditions, myths and popular beliefs of the early advanced civilizations ( Egypt , Mesopotamia ) and of the ancient peoples, the eagle is generally considered to be a symbol of domination and the divine. The symbolism was reinforced by the representation of hybrid creatures such as the griffin or the harpies , which emphasized the power, strength or disposition through different parts of the animal body. In the ancient Indian Rigveda , the Garuda as a snake-killing messenger brings the news of the gods, especially Vishnu . According to legend, the Sumerian king Gilgamesh was saved by an eagle. For the ancient Greeks, the eagle was the symbol of the supreme Olympian god Zeus , in ancient Rome it was the symbol of the supreme Roman deity Jupiter and imperial power and, in apotheosis, the emperor's divinity.
Many North American Indian tribes used their feathers, mostly as headdresses, as a sign of bravery, and made pipes from the bones .
coat of arms
In heraldry , the eagle is , next to the lion, the most common coat of arms. It can already be found on signs of the state and cities of Babylon , also in joint representations with a lion's head or as a double-headed eagle . The eagle can be found on army symbols from the Persian Empire , later also from Egypt . For the Roman state , the eagle was used as an imperial symbol and on the standard of the Roman legions, as well as on helmets and coins. With the imperial coronation of Charlemagne , the Roman eagle came to Germany as a symbol of imperial power, depicted on sceptres and magnificent buildings, and became a heraldic animal in Germany as the imperial eagle . In France the eagle was found as the main symbol of the Napoleonic Empire. Many modern national coats of arms now have the single-headed eagle in their national coat of arms (e.g. Germany , Mexico , Austria , Poland , USA , Albania ). Detailed information can be found under eagle (heraldic animal) .
Fight against drones
In the Netherlands, attempts to use eagles to fight drones have been abandoned because of the “disobedience” of the birds of prey. There is experience with the French army. In 2018, the Geneva police will start experiments with two eagles against drones that are undesirable in the air.
literature
- Theodor Mebs , Daniel Schmidt: The birds of prey in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-440-09585-1 .
- Kerstin Vierin, Roland Knauer: Birds of prey & owls: species, habitats, behavior. Komet Verlag GmbH, Cologne 2011, ISBN 3-869-41081-7 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Eagle. In: symbolonline.de
- ↑ Geneva police want to use Adler against drones. In: orf.at. February 26, 2018, accessed February 26, 2018 .