Black Solitary Eagle Bird

Facts about Black Solitary Eagle birds. "Scientific name for Black Solitary Eagle is Buteogallus solitarius". It is also known as the montane solitary eagle. The Black Solitary Eagle originates from Central and as far as South America east of Andes, northern Argentina and Mexico. It is found in mountainous areas and hilly forests. The Black Solitary Eagle bird is a huge Neotropical eagle. "Neotropical zone" (each spring, more than 150 species of Neotropical birds migrate from their Central and South American homes to make their way to North America to make nests and have their young. Commonly known as the Solitary Eagle and Montane Solitary Eagle. Black Solitary Eagle, is listed as "Near Threatened" by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2013).

Features of the Black Solitary Eagle

The Black Solitary Eagle bird is entirely dark gray in coloration except for the white central banded tail and a white tip. It usually develops to lengths of about 35 to 30 inches (63.5 to 76.2 cm) with weights of about 5.5 to 7.7 pounds (2.5 to 3.5 kg) and has a wing span of approximately 60 to 74 inches (152.4 to 188 cm). The female bird has a darker brown colored tinge than the male bird of the same species. However, the two sexes have a barely-visible, small crest.
The Black Solitary Eagle’s eyes are yellowish-brown in color with yellow legs and cere. The juvenile bird species resembles the adult although it has brownish red edges which streaks along the cheeks, nape and crown. It also has black stripes around its brown colored eyes with brown coloration of on the thighs, chest and greenish-white colored legs. They usually reach full plumage after periods of three years.

The Black Solitary Eagle population

The Black Solitary Eagle species has an estimated group number of about two fifty to nine hundred and ninety nine individuals across an area of about 269885 square miles (six hundred and ninety nine thousand square kilometers) and they usually build their nest using tree branches, lining them as high as 89 feet (27 meters) above the ground with green leaves and small twigs.

Region of the Black Solitary Eagle

The Black Solitary Eagle bird is found in hilly forests and mountainous areas at elevation ranges between 1970 to 7220 feet (600 to 2200 meters) above sea levels in dense sub-tropical and tropical forests with a total range span of approximately 28 degrees north and 24 degrees south. The adult Black Solitary Eagle is usually a local migrant. However, the bird rarely inhabits the lowland areas.
The Black Solitary Eagle mostly inhabit middle and mountain elevations. It is rarely found in lowlands. It also likes forested and hilly terrain such as dry pine forests found in Sierra Madre of Mexico. It has also been spotted in moister forests of mid-latitudes.

Diet of the Black Solitary Eagle

The majority of the Black Solitary Eagle bird’s diet consists of snakes, Nine-banded Armadillo, striped Basalisk lizard, rat, mouse and sometimes variety of birds including the chachalaca bird.