Pygmy Eagle
Hieraaetus weiskei
The Pygmy Eagle (Hieraaetus weiskei) is a legendary kites, old world vultures, eagles, and hawk found in 2 countries, weighing about 775 g. The pygmy eagle or New Guinea hawk-eagle is a bird of prey found in New Guinea.
About the Pygmy Eagle
The pygmy eagle or New Guinea hawk-eagle is a bird of prey found in New Guinea. Its natural habitats are primarily subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. It is one of the smallest species of eagle.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The pygmy eagle shares many characteristics with its counterpart the little eagle. The most notable differences are color. The pygmy eagle has darker more pronounced streaks on the nape, crown and ventral. The bird also shares characteristics with the booted eagle, both eagles have a unique underwing pattern. The plumage of the pygmy eagle can vary depending on the morph, light or dark. The dark morph is very similar to the dark morph of the little eagle, while the light morph shows the most differences that occur in the dark streaking. Voice: The voice of the pygmy eagle has been described as a "sip sip yeeee" during flights. The call can also be compared to the little eagle and booted eagle. The bird has also been observed giving a weaker single tone squeal.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: June, July, August, September, October, November, with peak activity in July. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Pygmy Eagle?
- The pygmy eagle shares many characteristics with its counterpart the little eagle. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Pygmy Eagle?
- The Pygmy Eagle is a large sized bird weighing about 775 g.
- Where can you see a Pygmy Eagle?
- The Pygmy Eagle occurs in 2 countries, including Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
- What birds look similar to a Pygmy Eagle?
- The Pygmy Eagle is most easily confused with the Ayres's Hawk-Eagle, the Little Eagle and the Wahlberg's Eagle.
- Is the Pygmy Eagle endangered?
- The Pygmy Eagle is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Pygmy Eagle for real
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