Raggiana Bird-of-paradise vs White-tailed Eagle
Paradisaea raggiana compared with Haliaeetus albicilla
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Raggiana Bird-of-paradise | White-tailed Eagle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Paradisaea raggiana | Haliaeetus albicilla |
| Order | Passeriformes | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Paradisaeidae | Accipitridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 34.0 cm (13.4 in) | 84.0 cm (33.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 45.0 cm (17.7 in) | 225.0 cm (88.6 in) |
| Weight | 260.0 g (9.17 oz) | 5200.0 g (183.42 oz) |
| Diet | Fruit, seeds, arthropods, and small vertebrates. Males display at communal lek sites to attract females. | Fish, waterfowl, and carrion. Often pirates food from other birds. Takes fish from the water … |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
None
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise only
White-tailed Eagle only
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise
Tropical rainforest and forest edge from lowlands to mid-montane elevations in New Guinea.
White-tailed Eagle
Coastlines, large lakes, and rivers with mature trees or cliffs for nesting. Requires large undisturbed areas.
Song & Call Comparison
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise
Males emit harsh, buzzy 'kraaak' calls and explosive wailing during display. Females give softer 'waak' contact calls. Display calls are loud and chaotic at leks.
White-tailed Eagle
High-pitched, yelping 'klee-klee' and deep barking 'ra-ra-ra'. Less vocal than Bald Eagle but similar chattering quality. Gives gull-like wailing near nest in breeding season.
Geographic Range & Migration
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise
Southern and eastern New Guinea. Endemic to Papua New Guinea.
White-tailed Eagle
Northern Europe and Asia from Greenland and Scandinavia to Japan. Reintroduced to Scotland and Ireland.
Conservation Status
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise
White-tailed Eagle
How to Tell Them Apart
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise
Males have a yellow crown, emerald-green throat, and spectacular cascading orange-red flank plumes. Females are brown with rufous underparts.
Stout, slightly curved, blue-grey bill
White-tailed Eagle
Brown body with a paler head in adults and a distinctive short white wedge-shaped tail. Massive broad wings in flight. Juveniles are darker overall.
Very large, heavy, pale yellow bill
About These Birds
Raggiana Bird-of-paradise
The raggiana bird-of-paradise is the national bird of Papua New Guinea, featured on the national flag and coat of arms. Males gather at traditional display trees to perform elaborate courtship dances, hanging upside down and shaking their spectacular flank plumes. Alfred Russel Wallace first described the species in 1873.
White-tailed Eagle
The white-tailed eagle is Europe's largest eagle and the fourth-largest eagle in the world. Once extinct in Britain, it has been successfully reintroduced to Scotland and Ireland through conservation programs. These powerful raptors can live over 25 years and form lifelong pair bonds.