Eagles are the only birds capable of carrying heavy weights with ease and tremendous speed because of their strong wings and size.
We have all heard stories and watched videos of how eagles can swoop in and grab their prey into the air in a flash, and it can be really scary because of how powerful they are.
This has gotten many people asking: how much weight can an eagle carry?
According to researchers and bird experts, birds cannot carry more than their body weight if the condition is favorable.
Eagles sometimes tend to defile the norms and can carry almost exactly their full body weight depending on the species. They use their powerful talon to grab prey and strong wings to move with great speed without the prey noticing.
This article will provide answers to all of your questions about the eagle’s lifting capacity and other related information.
How Much Weight Can an Eagle Carry?
A stunning video went viral on Fox News in 2018 when a photographer in Washington State was taking pictures of a red fox that hunted and killed a rabbit when an eagle speedily swooped down and tried to grab the rabbit from the fox’s mouth.
The eagle displayed great strength when it lifted the fox and rabbit into the air as the fox struggled and finally let go of the bunny.
The amount of weight an eagle can lift depends on the species of the eagle. An eagle can generally lift an object weighing from 3 pounds to 20 pounds at a go depending on the species.
For example, the maximum weight the most powerful eagle harpy eagle can carry is 20 pounds, and a golden eagle can lift 12–15 pounds, almost their full body weight.
What Makes an Eagle Powerful?
Eagles are one of the strongest birds, if not the strongest birds in the world.
The strength of these raptors generally comes from their strong legs, long talons, and huge wingspans that allow them to grab prey tightly and fly above a storm to avoid it.
What are the Conditions Necessary for an Eagle to Carry the Maximum Load?
A few factors help determine how much weight an eagle can carry. These factors include;
Speed, Momentum, and Wingspan
The weight a bird can carry depends on the wingspan. If its wingspan is wide and strong enough, it will help the eagle.
The faster this raptor snatches the load without landing, the greater the possibility of lifting it as momentum increases its ability.
The Eagles’ Age
young eagles are energetic, but their legs and talons are not strong enough to hoist heavy loads. The older the eagle, the stronger the talon.
Direction and Position
the way the load is carried and its position will tell if the eagle would be able to lift it easily.
If the load is lifted from a hill down or if the load is moving in the same direction as the eagle, it would be easy to carry.
The position the load is placed, i.e., if the load is streamlined or against the wind, if the animal is carried with its tail or on its back will affect if the eagle would carry it for long.
Is the Prey Dead or Alive?
If the prey is dead, it would be easy for any eagle to carry such a load without trouble or hindrance.
But if the prey is alive, it would be somewhat difficult because the prey would struggle, scratch, and claw and the eagle will have no choice but to let go.
However, those conditions don’t occur simultaneously; if an eagle decides to carry a load without the right conditions in place, it might fail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an eagle weigh?
An eagle depending on the specie, can weigh from 6 pounds to 20 pounds and grow up to 90-108 cm in length with a wingspan of about 2–3 m.
What do eagles eat?
Eagles are carnivores and cold-blooded killers. They feed on mammals, reptiles, rodents, and even other birds, dead or alive.
How far can an eagle see prey?
Eagles can see 8 times better than humans due to their excellent vision. An eagle can see prey two miles away from its position without the prey even noticing.
Can an eagle carry a dog?
Yes. An eagle can carry a dog into the air depending on the size and weight of the dog, as seen in the movie The Proposal, where we saw a bald eagle hoisting a small dog with ease.
However, dogs are safe because eagles tend to avoid contact with humans, but if your dog gets lost in the woods, it becomes easy prey for eagles.
Can eagles lift a cat?
The answer is yes. An eagle can pick up a house cat because the cat’s weight is less than most eagles’ body weight.
Although eagles rarely hunt cats because of their claws and how fast they are at evading predators, an eagle will prey on a cat if the opportunity arises.
What size of dog can an eagle carry?
Eagles can generally lift more than half their body weight. With that said, a big eagle such as the bald eagle can carry a small dog weighing up to 4 or 5 pounds.
Can an eagle carry a deer?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes. An eagle can carry a deer for a short period. There is little documentation that captures this incredible phenomenon.
Nevertheless, a young eagle can not carry a deer. Only an adult eagle can hoist a deer in the sky because of its strong legs.
Can an eagle carry a cow?
Although eagles are very powerful and capable of carrying a mule deer, an eagle can not carry a cow or a calf.
Can an eagle kill a wolf?
The answer is yes; a trained eagle can kill a wolf if and only if they attack the wolf from behind and hits it in a delicate spot.
Can an eagle lift a baby?
The answer is a Yes. An example is a viral report when a golden eagle swoops down and picks up a baby in a park.
Luckily the baby was too heavy for the eagle to lift, so it dropped the child. Knowing this, it is important to keep children close.
Can an eagle lift an adult human?
Since an eagle can lift a baby, we ask ourselves, can they also lift an adult? Fortunately, the answer is no, regardless of the eagle’s species, size, or strength; it is impossible to lift an adult.
The average adult weighs 135 lbs, and it is known that an eagle cannot carry more than half of its weight.
How many eagles will it take to lift an adult?
An average adult human weighs about 135 lbs. Therefore, it will take about 9 to 10 bald eagles to lift an adult lying unconscious on the floor.
Can an eagle crush a human skull?
The shocking answer is Yes, and eagles can crush a human skull. Their powerful talon can compress with a pressure of up to 530 Pascal and smash the brain like an orange.
What bird can carry the most weight?
The American harpy eagle, which can grow up to 4ft with a wingspan of up to 8ft, is the only bird that can carry a load of about 20 pounds, which is almost equivalent if not more than its full body.
Conclusion
In summary, an eagle’s weight and its lifting capacity depend mainly on the species, size, wingspan, age, speed, direction, momentum, etc.
As stated above, an eagle can not carry humans. However, they can grab babies, so whenever you go to the park, always watch out for big birds and keep the children close.
