Haast's Eagle
“ Fate is not an eagle, it creeps like a rat. ”
– Elizabeth Bowen
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Hieraaetus
Species: †Hieraaetus moorei (formerly known as Harpagornis moorei)
Descendant: Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides)
Named by: Johann Franz Julius von Haast
Year Published: 1872
Size:
Male: 9–12 kg (20–26 lb)
Female: 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) tall; 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) in wingspan; 10–18 kg (22–40 lb)
Lifespan: 15–26 years?
Type:
Reptiles (Archosaurs)
Birds (Eagle)
Title:
Biggest Eagle
Pantheon:
Terran/Gaian 🇺🇳
New Zealander 🇳🇿
Time Period: Pleistocene - Holocene
Alignment: Neutral
Threat Level: ★★★★★★
Diet: Carnivorous 🥩
Elements: Air 🌬️
Inflicts: Sundered 💔, Bleeding 🩸
Casualties: n/a
Based On: itself
Conservation Status: Extinct (EX) – IUCN Red List (since 1445 AD)
Haast's Eagle (Hieraaetus moorei; formerly known as Harpagornis moorei) is an extinct species of eagle that lived in the South Island of New Zealand, commonly accepted to be the pouakai of Māori legend. Known as Pouakai or poukai (Kanji: 巨鷲 / ポウアカィ/ポウカィ) in Maori language.
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One of the biggest known real birds of prey was the Haast's eagle. It was greater than the largest existing vultures in both length and weight. Male and female eagles differed greatly in size. According to most estimations, Haast's eagles weigh between 10 and 15 kg (22 and 33 lb) for females and 9 to 12 kg (20 and 26 lb) for males. Some wing and leg remains of Haast's eagles permit direct comparison with living eagles. The harpy eagle, the Philippine eagle, and the Steller's sea eagle are the largest and most powerful living eagles, and the first two also have a similarly reduced relative wing-length as an adaptation to forest-dwelling.
Though evidence strongly implies that the Haast's eagle flew, its comparatively narrow wingspan has occasionally led to an inaccurate portrayal of its evolution toward flightlessness. Rather, in order to navigate through a congested wooded environment, its short and broad wings constitute an evolutionary break from the mode of soaring flight of its progenitors. It is probable that Haast's eagles pursued prey in New Zealand's thick forests and scrublands.
Despite their enormous weight, these eagles would have been able to take off with a jumping start from the ground thanks to their strong legs and enormous flight muscles. In female specimens, the tail was most likely about 50 cm (20 in) long and extremely broad. With this feature, the loss of wing area would be offset by an increase in lift.
However, this is uncertain; the bald heads of vultures appear to have evolved at least partly for thermoregulatory purposes, and scavenging birds in colder climates such as the southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus) often have fully feathered heads.
The Haast's eagle uses claws and weight which was able to kill adult moa weighing up to 230 kilograms (510 lb), and which potentially had the capability to kill a human.
Its enormous beak may have been used to tear into its prey's internal organs, which would have resulted in blood loss and death. Over several days, a Haast's eagle might have easily monopolized a single huge kill in the lack of other large predators or kleptoparasites. This implies that, after securing a kill, it used feeding strategies more like to vultures', inserting its head inside the victim's body cavity to consume the important organs. The fact that the bird hunted animals much larger than itself may have caused it to evolve in this way.
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The Haast's eagle could kill and eat native moas, kiwis, takahe, kuri dog, and Maoris unprovoked.
The Haast's eagle that lived in the South Island of New Zealand was made possible in part by the presence of large prey and the absence of competition from other large predators, an example of ecological release and island gigantism. As an inhabitant of a cool temperate forest, Haast's eagle would have had less need for thermoregulation than a large tropical vulture.
Movement Pattern: Not a Migrant
Individual Type: Solo
Population Trend: Stable
Population: ???
Locomotion: Versatile
Habitat: Tundra; Taiga; Temperate Coniferous Forests; Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests; Temperate Deciduous Forests; Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Subtropical Coniferous Forests; Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Flooded Grasslands and Savannas; Swamp; Bayous/Billabongs; Riparian; Wetland; Mangrove Forest; Cold Bamboo Forests; Air-breathing Coral Reefs; Graveyard Vale; Mountain; Sky; Radiated Citadel; Volcano; Warm Ghost Town; Cold Ghost Town; Ruined Skyscraper.
Earth:
Extinct: New Zealand
Berbania:
Extant & Introduced (Resident): worldwide
Reinachos:
Extant & Introduced (Resident): worldwide
Sawintir:
Extant & Introduced (Resident): worldwide
The Haast's eagle was tranquilized by bullets, made unconscious, fed while unconscious, and used narcotics to continuously overdose. The Haast's eagle can be tamed using any egg or meat if it isn't already trained after hatching.
Project Pashneia, a scientific project by the Terran branch of Deities to construct any creatures, monsters, or humans in terms of their own, found that there were relatively few animals without the aurorium neurotransmitter on their brains and developed the eagle during the year 30000 BCE.
Arabic: العربية: نسر هاآست
Bulgarian: Орел на Хааст (Oryel na Khaast)
Brezhoneg: Erer Haast
Čeština: Orel Haastův
Deutsch: Haastadler
English: Haast's Eagle
Esperanto: Aglo de Haast
Suomi: Haastin kotka
Français: Aigle géant de Haast
Magyar: Haast-féle sas
Italiano: Aquila di Haast
Nihongo: ハルパゴルニスワシ (Harupagorunisuwashi)
Hangeul: 하스트독수리 (haseuteudogsuri)
Māori: Pouakai (巨鷲, ポウアカィ, ポウカィ)
Nederlands: Haasts arend
Polski: Orzeł Haasta
Português: Águia-de-haast
Zhongguo: 哈斯特鷹
According to user EuroHokioi: My favourite animal.