Little Eagle
Hieraaetus morphnoides
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
- FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
- GenusHieraaetus (Small Eagles)
- SpeciesHieraaetus morphnoides (Little Eagle)
About the Little Eagle
The little eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides) is a very small eagle endemic to Australia. John Gould described the little eagle in 1841. The distinctive pygmy eagle has long been considered a subspecies, but a 2009 genetic study shows it to be distinctive genetically and warrants species status. It is a near relative of both the Palearctic booted eagle and the massive but now extinct Haast's eagle of New Zealand.
The little eagle is a medium-sized bird of prey, measuring 45–55 cm (17–21.5 inches) in length and weighing 815 g (1.8 lb), roughly the size of a peregrine falcon. It has fully feathered legs and a square-cut, barred tail. Wingspan is about 120 cm with males having longer wings in proportion to their bodies, but being nearly half the weight of females. It is a powerful bird and during flight has strong wing beats, glides on flat wings and soars on slightly raised or flat wings.
The little eagle occurs in light and dark colour forms and generally these colours change with age. The most common is the light form which is dark brown occurring on the back and wings with black streaks on the head and neck, and a sandy to pale under body. The dark form... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Cape Range
White-Bellied Sea-Eagle
Haliaeetus leucogaster
Brahminy Kite
Haliastur indus
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Aquila audax
Black-shouldered Kite
Elanus axillaris
Swamp Harrier
Circus approximans
Spotted Harrier
Circus assimilis
Whistling Kite
Haliastur sphenurus
Black-breasted Kite
Hamirostra melanosternon
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Eastern Osprey
Pandion cristatus
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Little Eagle in Cape Range?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Little Eagle sighting in Cape Range, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Little Eagle in Cape Range?
June has the highest sighting rate for Little Eagle in Cape Range in our monthly data.