Description
The Crowned Eagle has blackish grey upperparts with the belly and breast are marked with blackish bars and blotches, variably marked with cream or rich buff-rufous coloration. The rufous underwing coverts and strongly barred white and black outer wings and tail are all diagnostic in flight. The large crest is often raised giving the large head a somewhat triangular appearance. The crest combined with this bird's upright perching posture and large size make the adult nearly unmistakable at suitable range.
The Crowned Eagle is 80–99 cm (31–39 in) long with a wingspan of1.51–1.81 m (5.0–5.9 ft). The female, at a weight of 3.2–4.7 kg (7 lb 0.9 oz–10 lb 6 oz), is around 10–15% larger than the male, at a weight of 2.55–4.12 kg (5 lb 10 oz–9 lb 1 oz). It, on average, weighs less and has a smaller wing-span than the often sympatric Martial Eagle, its average total length exceeds that of the Martial Eagle thanks to its much longer tail, at 30–41 cm (12–16 in). This eagle has relatively short, broad and rounded wings, with the wing chord measuring 44.5–53.2 cm (17.5–20.9 in) for added manoeuvrability in its environment. The tarsus is of moderate length for a raptor of its size, at 8.5–10.3 cm (3.3–4.1 in), but the talons are heavy, strong and powerful.
The juvenile may be confused with the juvenile Martial Eagle, especially in flight. The juvenile Crowned is all white below and on the head, with darker coloration on the back and wings. It distinguished from the Martial species in having a much longer, more heavily barred tail, much shorter wings and spotted thighs.
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