Crested Eagle
Morphnus guianensis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
- FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
- GenusMorphnus
- SpeciesMorphnus guianensis (Crested Eagle)
About the Crested Eagle
The crested eagle (Morphnus guianensis) is a large neotropical eagle, the only member of the genus Morphnus. The crested eagle can grow up to 89 cm (35 in) long, with a wingspan up to 176 cm (69 in), and weigh up to 3 kg (6.6 lb). The plumage varies between a light brownish-gray to sooty gray or even blackish in some cases. It has a white throat and a dark spot on the crest and a small dark mask across the eyes. It ranges extensively throughout Central and South America, but not in large numbers, favoring tropical lowland forest. A powerful predator, its diet consist mainly of small mammals, rodents, snakes and smaller birds. Despite their large distribution, they are currently classified as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, due mainly to habitat loss
It is sparsely distributed throughout its extensive range from northern Guatemala through Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, the subtropical Andes of Colombia, northeastern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil (where it has suffered greatly from habitat destruction, being now found practically only in the Amazonian basin), and east Andean Ecuador, southeastern... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Darién National Park
Roadside Hawk
Rupornis magnirostris
Common Black-Hawk
Buteogallus anthracinus
Gray-lined Hawk
Buteo nitidus
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Plumbeous Kite
Ictinia plumbea
Black Hawk-Eagle
Spizaetus tyrannus
Crane Hawk
Geranospiza caerulescens
Harpy Eagle
Harpia harpyja
American Swallow-tailed Kite
Elanoides forficatus
Gray-headed Kite
Leptodon cayanensis
Savanna Hawk
Buteogallus meridionalis
Double-toothed Kite
Harpagus bidentatus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 2 | Anavilhanas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 4 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 5 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 6 | Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Canaima National Park | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 8 | Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇧🇿 Belize | |
| 9 | Sierra de la Macarena National Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 10 | Madidi National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 11 | Chagres National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 12 | Tortuguero National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 13 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Crested Eagle in Darién National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Eagle sighting in Darién National Park, based on 187 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Crested Eagle in Darién National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Crested Eagle in Darién National Park in our monthly data.