Besra vs Bald Eagle
Accipiter virgatus compared with Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Besra | Bald Eagle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Accipiter virgatus | Haliaeetus leucocephalus |
| Order | Accipitriformes | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae | Accipitridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | 79.0 cm (31.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 33.5 cm (13.2 in) | 203.0 cm (79.9 in) |
| Weight | 135.625 g (4.78 oz) | 4300.0 g (151.68 oz) |
| Diet | -- | Primarily fish, also waterfowl, small mammals, and carrion. Hunts by swooping down to snatch fish … |
| Clutch Size | 2-5 | 1-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Bald Eagle
Large bodies of open water including coasts, rivers, and lakes with abundant fish and old-growth trees for nesting.
Song & Call Comparison
Besra
Bald Eagle
High-pitched, chattering whistle: a rapid 'kleek-kik-ik-ik-ik'. Surprisingly weak and thin for such a large raptor. Also gives a lower 'kwit-kwit' call near the nest.
Geographic Range & Migration
Besra
Bald Eagle
North America from Alaska and Canada through the contiguous United States to northern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Besra
Bald Eagle
How to Tell Them Apart
Besra
Bald Eagle
Adults have a dark brown body with a striking white head and tail. Juveniles are mottled brown and white, reaching full adult plumage at age five.
Large, hooked, bright yellow bill
About These Birds
Besra
The Besra is a small, agile forest hawk found from the Indian subcontinent through Southeast Asia to Taiwan and the Philippines. It has dark grey upperparts, rufous-streaked white underparts, and a distinctive dark throat stripe. It hunts small birds, lizards, and large insects in dense forest understory with quick, maneuverable flight.
Bald Eagle
The bald eagle is the national bird and symbol of the United States. Once endangered due to DDT pesticide use, it made a remarkable recovery and was removed from the endangered species list in 2007. These powerful raptors build the largest tree nests of any bird, some weighing over two tons.