Eagles Create Amazing Homes

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You may know that eagles have some of the largest and most impressive wingspans in the bird kingdom, but did you know they also build some of the largest nests? An eagle’s nest can be a few feet wide and several feet deep as well, built up out of sticks, primarily. The male and female eagles both gather the sticks for the nest and build it up over a series of weeks, but even when the eggs are laid and the birds hatch, the nest building isn’t done.

An eagle can continue to build its nest over the next few years, since eagles are notoriously territorial and stick with the same nest for life, so long as it serves them well. This is why an eagle’s nest can reach a weight of nearly two tons. They build their nest some place with lots of support, such as in the branches of a tall tree or on a rock. The nest is always built up some place high, because eagles with their excellent hunting vision want an overlook where they can see prey or danger from at a distance. They give themselves an elevated perch where they build their nest, which is why we have the expression “an eagle’s eye view”.
Eagles spend some serious time and thought planning where they are going to build their nest. They hate to abandon a nest, so they put a lot of work into ensuring that they have chosen a good spot. They have a knack, or instinct if you will, for choosing good places to make nests, and it is very rare for an eagle to change nesting areas.

They have a large hunting and breeding area that they consider their own. You will see eagles soaring high above the sky in their areas that they have mapped out for themselves. Unless it is looking for a mate or it runs out of food in its area, an eagle will not venture outside of its territory. These are fiercely territorial birds, and they are aggressive to anything that looks like a danger to their family that goes into their territory.

They don’t even like to migrate. Eagles tend to stay within the same area when the cold weather sets in, because they love their homes so much. The only time they move outside the area is when winter weather makes food or shelter scarce. As leaves fall from the trees and cause them to lose their shelter or as animals migrate out of their hunting area, eagles will expand their hunting searches and move outside their territory to find food. They will not abandon their nest, however, unless they absolutely have to.

If they do have to move away from their home due to winter weather, they will usually return to their original home once the warmer weather starts to come back. They will take up the same hunting patterns and territory that they had before, as they will remember all of their area and how they used to protect it against dangers.

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Religious And Supernatural Significance of Eagles

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Eagles are known for the iconic imagery that accompanies them in the United States since they are the national bird, but this is also a creature that holds special religious significance in many cultures. Let’s look briefly at some of the ways eagles are depicted or seen by religions of the world.

Christianity

In the Christian religion, eagles are mentioned a few times in the Bible. They are referenced as being mighty creatures that people can aspire to soar like. They are also one of the four creatures mentioned in the books of Ezekiel and Revelation that have a place in heaven, near the throne of God. Their significance the has been debated for a long time, but there is no debating that they do hold some significance for the religion.

Native American Religions

It may not be fair to lump all Native American religions together, but we have to here for the sake of brevity. In several religions associated with Native Americans, eagles are seen as a sign of good fortune or as an indicator of a good place to build. Some Native American cultures regard the eagle as a messenger for the Creator, and that means they see the bird as being sacred, ascribing it more significance than in most other religions.

Roman

There isn’t much left of the ancient Roman religion, but the eagle iconography used by the United States gets it origins from Roman religious teachings. In the Roman religion, the eagle was scare, because it was said to have been important to the highest Roman god, Jupiter. The Romans would carry depictions of the eagle into battle with them, sometimes mounting an eagle on a pole, like the way the eagle is sometimes mounted on a flagpole in US customs.

Greek

Eagles were also significant in ancient Greek religious beliefs. It was said that the eagle was the patron animal of the highest god Zeus. That same god would sometimes transform himself into an eagle to do various activities on the earth among mortals, travelling in disguise. The Greeks thought of the eagle as important and even sacred as a result. Zeus would use the eagle form to abduct Ganymede in the ancient Greek writings, and numerous artistic depiction of this occurring have been found in Greek archeological sites.

Sumerian

The eagle was also important to the ancient Sumerians. They were some of the first people in recorded history, and the eagle was said to have carried the ancient magical king Etana into the sky and all the way up to heaven. There are some writings about the eagle and this particular event that were significant to the ancient Sumerians.

Eagles continue to be a source of inspiration and wonder for many cultures, and even though their religious significance is not as strong as it used to be throughout the world, they are still revered, protected by laws in numerous countries and seen as majestic, regal birds worthy of awe and respect.

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