Bird Album
Little Eagle
Hieraaetus morphnoides (Gould, 1841)
45–55 cmLength775 gWeight
The little eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides) is a very small eagle endemic to Australia.
Busiest months: April–October · Most records: Australia
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: April–October · Most records: Australia
Little Eagle has been recorded at 159 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Bowra Wildlife SanctuaryAustralia854 records
- Western Treatment PlantAustralia747 records
- Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature ReserveAustralia717 records
More places
- Eynesbury Forest and GrasslandsAustralia495 records
- Serendip SanctuaryAustralia436 records
- Woodlands Historic ParkAustralia292 records
- Crusoe Reservoir and No. 7 ParkAustralia183 records
- You Yangs Regional ParkAustralia180 records
- Hattah-Kulkyne National ParkAustralia170 records
- Braeside ParkAustralia140 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The little eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides) is a very small eagle endemic to Australia.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Little Eagle?
The Little Eagle is about 45–55 cm long and weighs around 775 g.
Where does the Little Eagle live?
Its breeding range: Australasia: Australia (except Tasmania). It is most often recorded in Australia.
When is the best time to see the Little Eagle?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April, May, June, July, August, September and October (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Little Eagle endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Little Eagle as Least Concern.
What does the Little Eagle eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the Little Eagle in?
It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 45–55 cm
- Weight
- 775 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Varied
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 365 mm
- Tail
- 205 mm
- Bill
- 36 mm
- Tarsus
- 54 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Australasia: Australia (except Tasmania)
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
- Genus
- Hieraaetus
Other birds in the genus Hieraaetus
Wahlberg's EagleHieraaetus wahlbergi
Ayres's Hawk-EagleHieraaetus ayresii
Pygmy EagleHieraaetus weiskei
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatus
Pearl KiteGampsonyx swainsonii
Scissor-tailed KiteChelictinia riocourii
White-tailed KiteElanus leucurus
Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
Black-shouldered KiteElanus axillaris
Letter-winged KiteElanus scriptus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Kelly. ↗
Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.