THE BIOLOGIST APPRENTICE
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Podcast
  • Support
  • Press
  • Contact

The “Great Eagles” of Planet Earth

3/27/2015

0 Comments

 
By guest blogger: Katey Duffey 

"Eagles are not kindly birds. Some are cowardly and cruel. But the ancient race of the northern mountains were the greatest of all birds; they were proud and strong and noble-hearted.”

-J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
Photos: imgur.com

Ah!, the Great Eagles of Middle-earth. They are both the welcomed last minute saviors of the stories’ heroes, swooping in just when all hope seems to be lost, and the subject of a debated plot-hole where The Lord of the Rings fans find themselves yelling at Frodo’s fellowship “Take the eagles to Mt. Doom! Weren’t you paying attention to Gandalf when he said ‘Fly, you fools!’?” However, if the beloved characters did take the birds from the start, there would be no hardships and good fortune, no chance of discovering strange places and even stranger beings. There would be no adventure, no story…

As immortal as the Elves, the Great Eagles served as messengers and guardians of life within Middle-earth. They were highly intelligent, keen of sight and possessed the ability to speak (though remained stoically silent in the films). The most notable of these huge raptors was Thorondor, the “Lord of Eagles”, who was described as having a wingspan of thirty fathoms (180 ft or 59.86m). During the ages, the great Eagles fought alongside Elves and Men in the wars against the forces of Morgoth. Although the Eagles seem to be depicted as Golden eagles in both a painting by Tolkien and in Peter Jackson’s films, there is no concrete evidence in the text of the books that indicates this was the actual species. However, fans associate the giant birds of prey mostly with Golden eagles based on the current interpretations of their appearance. 
ImagenPhoto: adlayasanimals.files.wordpress.com
Golden eagles are one of the most globally distributed species of raptors. They range throughout the majority of the northern hemisphere: North America, Europe, and much of Asia. These eagles inhabit open plains, deserts, tundra, and rocky mountain terrain. Perhaps it is their wide distribution and commonality that Golden eagles were chosen as the inspiration for the Great Eagles of Middle-earth. They seem to look like the stereotypical eagle that many people would envision.

Imagen
Photo: Golden eagle range map, www.raptorresearchfoundation.org
Among the top five largest eagle species, Golden eagles can have a wingspan of up to 2.34m (8ft), and weigh up to 6.35kg (14lbs). With great size comes great power, and a large female can have a talon grip strength of 450psi. That’s enough force to crush into sheet metal! Although they mainly prey on small or medium animals such as rabbits, ground squirrels and marmots, they are perfectly capable of taking down larger prey. In fact, Golden eagles have been known to bring down cranes, livestock, deer, mountain goats, and bobcats! 
ImagenPhoto: Eagle hunters, pixshark.com
It is the strength and aggression of Golden eagles that have resulted in the use of them in traditional falconry in Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan for centuries. Female eagle chicks are removed from the nest just before fledging, and are hand-raised for several years by an eagle hunter. This gender is chosen because they are more aggressive than males, said to be more intelligent and are also larger. The bond between man and eagle is revered as the ultimate relationship in falconry, and training methods are generally passed down from father to son. If there are no sons, then the tradition is passed onto a daughter.

In the winter, hunters may even use their eagles to hunt wolves! Considering the ability for Tolkien’s Great Eagles to dispatch the massive wolf-like Wargs, the ability for Golden eagles to do the same, but on a much smaller scale, only adds to the impressiveness of the birds. However, attacking a large canine, no matter how powerful or fierce an eagle is, does not come without risk. It is for this reason that several eagle hunters will release their birds to work as a team. After several years of working with its master to catch prey for food and warm furs, an eagle is then released back into the wild. This actually helps the wild population by giving some birds the ability to grow strong and healthy, allowing a chance for the next generations to inherit the traits that made the veteran hunters successful.    

Like the Great Eagles of Middle-earth, the Golden eagles of Planet Earth cannot be fully tamed. It is always to the high reaching thermal air currents of the wild that these magnificent birds will long to be.

“Farewell! Wherever you fare, ‘till your eyries receive you at the journey’s end!” ~Great Eagles

“May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks.” ~Gandalf

- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

References
Lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Great_Eagles
Tolkiengateway.net/wiki/eagles
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden_Eagles/
globalraptors.org/grin/speciesresults.asp?specID=8162
Robinson, C. 2010. Mongolia: Nomad Empire of Eternal Blue Sky. Odyssey Books and Guides. Pp. 352-360.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Blog Archive
    ​
    This blog isn't active anymore
    ​Disclaimer

    All the pictures on this blog and social networks belong to their respective authors and proper credits are given. Photos are used for illustrative and educational purposes only.

    Todas las fotografías de este blog y redes sociales son propiedad de sus respectivos autores, se mencionan los respectivos créditos. Estas fotos son únicamente utilizadas con fines ilustrativos y educativos.


    Archives

    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    July 2012

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Podcast
  • Support
  • Press
  • Contact