Bird is the word eagles

Pop Culture dictionary

[burd iz th uh wurd]

Published March 19, 2018

What does bird is the word mean?

Bird is the word is a reference to the main lyric of the 1963 hit single “Surfin’ Bird” by the Trashmen, notably featured in the plot of a 2008 episode of the cartoon Family Guy.

Where does bird is the word come from?

wimpy kid

In their 1963 single “Surfin’ Bird,” surf-rock garage band The Trashmen sing repeatedly:

“A well a don’t you know about the bird?
Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word!
A well a bird, bird, b-bird’s the word.”

The song was inspired by two contemporary songs by the doo-wop group The Rivingtons: “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” and “Bird is the Word.” The bird refers to a dance craze in the 1960s. The Trashmen noticed the two songs sounded alike, so they mashed them together in a live performance. A DJ at the show brought them into the studio to record the mashup under the title “Surfin’ Bird.”

While The Trashmen’s inspiration for “Surfin’ Bird” is well-documented, the exact origin and meaning of the saying bird is the word is less clear. Bird has carried many slang connotations throughout its history, from “prostitute” to “the middle finger.” In the context of the song, and in subsequent contexts, bird is the word characterizes something as good, cool, or new and revolutionary.

The Trashmen’s “Surfin’ Bird” peaked at #4 on the Billboard charts, later inspiring fun or ironic covers by popular performers from The Ramones to Pee-wee Herman. The song, and phrase, rose to new prominence in 2008 when it was featured on an episode of animated TV show, Family Guy.

In the “I Dream of Jesus” episode of Family Guy, the main character Peter Griffin hears “Surfin’ Bird,” his favorite song from childhood, playing from a jukebox at a 1950s-themed diner. The owners plan to throw away the vinyl record, but Peter takes it home with him instead. He becomes annoyingly obsessed, crafting conversations to end with the song as the punchline. He dances and sings to the song at every opportunity and even films a commercial based around the song. His dog Brian and baby Stewie destroy the record in hopes that it will curb Peter’s obsession, to no avail.

Examples of bird is the word

Hi, I’m Peter Griffin. According to Gallup Polls one in 12 Americans is unaware that the bird is the word. I dream of an America where everybody knows that the bird is the word.

@JDFXs, February, 2018

Bird is the word for residents in the Coeur d’Alene area this month…After just a week of breaking the record amount of bald eagles counted on Lake Coeur d’Alene, the record was broke again Thursday.

Tasha Cain, KREM, December, 2017

«The box has everything they need to make a Thanksgiving dinner, so it’s a little different than your average food box, and a lot of our families that we serve have really, really big families, so a turkey goes a long way,» Nicole Pena said…Even though right now bird is the word, Nicole says they hope their help can extend beyond the Thanksgiving table.

Marcy Jones, KSAZ, November, 2017

Who uses bird is the word?

The vast majority of contemporary usage of bird is the word is a direct reference to either the contagiously but obnoxiously repetitive lyrics of the original song or, more so, to the Family Guy episode, which mocks its infectious repetition. Much common usage of the phrase mirrors Peter’s jokes from the popular Family Guy episode, with people contriving conversations to deliver bird is the word as the punchline.

Bird is the word is also used in wordplay. For instance, articles about New York Yankees player Greg Bird pun on his last name: “Yankees fans already know that Greg Bird is the word.” The 2017 film Lady Bird also invited the connection: “Lady Bird is the word this awards season.”

Food writers and restaurant critics also use the phrase bird is the word when describing a delicious dish that contains chicken or other poultry. Writing about actual birds (e.g, bird-watching, avian research) may also use the recognizable phrase.

Note

This is not meant to be a formal definition of bird is the word like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is
rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of bird is the word
that will help our users expand their word mastery.

• #1

Hi all, i have a problem to translate the idiom «Bird is the word» in French, its not difficult to translate that but what it means exactly ?:

Me -» My son needs me , he’s hungry.»

My friend -» dont you know that the bird is the word?! «

Thank you.

• #2

??? — is he calling you ‘altricial’ ???

My only association with the phrase «bird is the word» is from the old song «Surfin’ Bird» by the Trashmen … (though I confess it was the Ramones version I heard first).

Last edited: Sep 12, 2009

• #3

Oh I see, I think you are right because just before that conversation, we were talking about the movie «Full Metal Jacket» (Surfin’ Bird is the song of that movie)

Thank you very much mgarizona .

• #4

Hi ! I heard this expression several times (in songs, that’s right, but not the one mentionned before), and still wonder the exact signification. Seems like a bit like «that’s really it!», emphasizing on the fact that the thing mentionned got all the archetypal caracteristics of it, but I wonder of this interpretation is accurate.

• #5

Interesting Keridwen. I’ve personally never heard anyone use the expression outside of direct allusion to the song.

As for the phrase as used in the song, it’s easy to understand if you know that «Surfin Bird» by the Trashmen was cobbled together from two older doo-wop songs by a band called The Rivingtons: «Pappa-Oom-Mow-Mow» and «The Bird Is The Word.» The latter song is just one of a thousand «dance songs» from the period saying that there’s a new dance craze sweeping the nation— like the Twist or the Locomotion— this one called «the Bird»

The phrase «the Bird Is The Word» implies «this new dance, ‘the Bird,’ is what everybody is talking about right now, it’s the hot news of the day.

Compare that with a phrase like «What’s the word?» which is something you might saw when you run into a friend instead of «What’s new?»

We recently lost Gil Scott Heron who released «What’s the Word? Johannesburg» in 1975.

• #6

As an example, I can refer to the song «Black Crickets» from D.A.D.
In this song, the harvest is plagued by black crickets threatening the pioneers survival, until a cunning old man had the idea of building a giant nest, suggesting the presence of a giant bird to frighten the pests.
the lyrics then goes:
«They saw the nest the vision occured
And the dogs would wag their tails
Crickets all shouted: «Bird is the word»
The insects hit the trail»

What do you think about it?

• #7

As an example, I can refer to the song «Black Crickets» from D.A.D.
In this song, the harvest is plagued by black crickets threatening the pioneers survival, until a cunning old man had the idea of building a giant nest, suggesting the presence of a giant bird to frighten the pests.
the lyrics then goes:
«They saw the nest the vision occured
And the dogs would wag their tails
Crickets all shouted: «Bird is the word»
The insects hit the trail»

What do you think about it?

I think you shouldn’t look to Danish bands for examples of English usage. Any English-speaker, for example, would have used the word «Locusts» and not «Crickets» in the title of that song. As for «bird is the word» in it? I’m sure they just thought it was funny … has no sense to it that I can see.

• #8

So I suppose I shouldn’t turn to german bands for more examples… though the song «eaglize it» from the Boss Hoss also contains this sentence.

• #10

So I suppose I shouldn’t turn to german bands for more examples… though the song «eaglize it» from the Boss Hoss also contains this sentence.

OK, now you’ve got something to play with:

Take «legalize it»— common cry here for the legalization of marijuana— and turn it into ‘eagle-ize it’ … which would mean to take whatever

it

is (or

we are

) and make eagles out of it: a fine and noble aspiration if you ask me.

You can look at «Bird is the word» here one of two ways: it’s either just a fun reference to a song everyone knows and loves thrown into a song about birds, or it’s used pretty much the same way the Rivington’s used it in the original song. Now that we’ve ‘eagleized’ it, «Bird» is all anyone is talking about, «Bird» is the hot new craze: BIRD is THE WORD! (I suppose you could argue that the same meaning applies, however ridiculously, to the D.A.D. song as well.)

I can’t see the term having any other meaning. With the Rivingtons and Boss Hoss we’re given something to relate «the bird» to, which in turn gives the entire phrase meaning. In examples where you encounter «bird is the word» apropos of nothing, figure it’s just there for fun. Which is to say, it’s used the way the Trashmen used it— as meaningless wordplay— as opposed to how the Rivingtons used it: as a meaningful statement, even if only marketing ballyhoo.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eagle
From left to right: golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), brown snake eagle (Circaetus cinereus), solitary eagle (Buteogallus solitarius), black eagle (Ictinaetus malaiensis) and African fish eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer).
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Accipitriformes
Family:	Accipitridae
Species
See text

Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagles are from Eurasia and Africa.^[1] Outside this area, just 14 species can be found—2 in North America, 9 in Central and South America, and 3 in Australia.

Eagles are not a natural group but denote essentially any kind of bird of prey large enough to hunt sizeable (about 50 cm long or more overall) vertebrates.

Description[edit]

Eagles are large, powerfully-built birds of prey, with heavy heads and beaks. Even the smallest eagles, such as the booted eagle (Aquila pennata), which is comparable in size to a common buzzard (Buteo buteo) or red-tailed hawk (B. jamaicensis), have relatively longer and more evenly broad wings, and more direct, faster flight – despite the reduced size of aerodynamic feathers. Most eagles are larger than any other raptors apart from some vultures. The smallest species of eagle is the South Nicobar serpent eagle (Spilornis klossi), at 450 g (1 lb) and 40 cm (16 in). The largest species are discussed below. Like all birds of prey, eagles have very large hooked beaks for ripping flesh from their prey, strong, muscular legs, and powerful talons.

The beak is typically heavier than that of most other birds of prey. Eagles’ eyes are extremely powerful. It is estimated that the martial eagle, whose eyes are more than two times larger than the human eye, has a visual acuity up to 8 times that of humans. This acuity enables eagles to spot potential prey from a very long distance.^[2] This keen eyesight is primarily attributed to their extremely large pupils which ensure minimal diffraction (scattering) of the incoming light. The female of all known species of eagles is larger than the male.^[3][4]

Eagles normally build their nests, called eyries, in tall trees or on high cliffs. Many species lay two eggs, but the older, larger chick frequently kills its younger sibling once it has hatched. The parents take no action to stop the killing.^[5][6]
It is said that eagles fly above clouds but this is not true. Eagles fly during storms and glide from the wind’s pressure. This saves the bird’s energy.
Due to the size and power of many eagle species, they are ranked at the top of the food chain as apex predators in the avian world. The type of prey varies by genus. The Haliaeetus and Ichthyophaga eagles prefer to capture fish, though the species in the former often capture various animals, especially other water birds, and are powerful kleptoparasites of other birds. The snake and serpent eagles of the genera Circaetus, Terathopius, and Spilornis predominantly prey on the great diversity of snakes found in the tropics of Africa and Asia. The eagles of the genus Aquila are often the top birds of prey in open habitats, taking almost any medium-sized vertebrate they can catch. Where Aquila eagles are absent, other eagles, such as the buteonine black-chested buzzard-eagle of South America, may assume the position of top raptorial predator in open areas. Many other eagles, including the species-rich genus Spizaetus, live predominantly in woodlands and forests. These eagles often target various arboreal or ground-dwelling mammals and birds, which are often unsuspectingly ambushed in such dense, knotty environments. Hunting techniques differ among the species and genera, with some individual eagles having engaged in quite varied techniques based on their environment and prey at any given time. Most eagles grab prey without landing and take flight with it, so the prey can be carried to a perch and torn apart.^[7]

The bald eagle is noted for having flown with the heaviest load verified to be carried by any flying bird, since one eagle flew with a 6.8 kg (15 lb) mule deer fawn.^[8] However, a few eagles may target prey considerably heavier than themselves; such prey is too heavy to fly with, thus it is either eaten at the site of the kill or taken in pieces back to a perch or nest. Golden and crowned eagles have killed ungulates weighing up to 30 kg (66 lb) and a martial eagle even killed a 37 kg (82 lb) duiker, 7–8 times heavier than the preying eagle.^[7][9] Authors on birds David Allen Sibley, Pete Dunne, and Clay Sutton described the behavioral difference between hunting eagles and other birds of prey thus (in this case the bald and golden eagles as compared to other North American raptors):^[10]

They have at least one singular characteristic. It has been observed that most birds of prey look back over their shoulders before striking prey (or shortly thereafter); predation is after all a two-edged sword. All hawks seem to have this habit, from the smallest kestrel to the largest Ferruginous – but not the Eagles.

Among the Eagles are some of the largest birds of prey: only the condors and some of the Old World vultures are markedly larger. It is regularly debated which should be considered the largest species of eagle. They could be measured variously in total length, body mass, or wingspan. Different lifestyle needs among various eagles result in variable measurements from species to species. For example, many forest-dwelling eagles, including the very large harpy eagle, have relatively short wingspans, a feature necessary for being able to maneuver in quick, short bursts through densely forested habitats.^[7] Eagles in the genus Aquila, found almost exclusively in open country, are noted for their ability to soar, and have relatively long wings for their size.^[7]

These lists of the top five eagles are based on weight, length, and wingspan, respectively. Unless otherwise noted by reference, the figures listed are the median reported for each measurement in the guide Raptors of the World^[11] in which only measurements that could be personally verified by the authors were listed.^[7]

Rank	Common name	Scientific name	Body mass
1	Steller’s sea eagle	Haliaeetus pelagicus	6.7 kg (14+3⁄4 lb)
2	Philippine eagle	Pithecophaga jefferyi	6.35 kg (14 lb)
3	Harpy eagle	Harpia harpyja	5.95 kg (13 lb)
4	White-tailed eagle	Haliaeetus albicilla	4.8 kg (10+1⁄2 lb)[12]
5	Martial eagle	Polemaetus bellicosus	4.6 kg (10+1⁄4 lb)[12]

Rank	Common name	Scientific name	Total length
1	Philippine eagle	Pithecophaga jefferyi	100 cm (3 ft 3 in)[13]
2	Harpy eagle	Harpia harpyja	98.5 cm (3 ft 3 in)
3	Wedge-tailed eagle	Aquila audax	95.5 cm (3 ft 2 in)
4	Steller’s sea eagle	Haliaeetus pelagicus	95 cm (3 ft 1 in)
5	Crowned eagle	Stephanoaetus coronatus	87.5 cm (2 ft 10 in)

Rank	Common name	Scientific name	Median wingspan
1	White-tailed eagle	Haliaeetus albicilla	218.5 cm (7 ft 2 in)
2	Steller’s sea eagle	Haliaeetus pelagicus	212.5 cm (7 ft 0 in)
3	Wedge-tailed eagle	Aquila audax	210 cm (6 ft 11 in)[14][15]
4	Golden eagle	Aquila chrysaetos	207 cm (6 ft 9 in)
5	Martial eagle	Polemaetus bellicosus	206.5 cm (6 ft 9 in)

Habitat[edit]

The eagles are generally distributed in all types of habitats and nearly all parts of the world. The birds can be found in northern tundra to tropical rainforests and deserts. In North America, bald eagles and golden eagles are very common.

The other nine species are endemic to Central and South America. The birds have a highly concentrated population in the Africa and eastern hemisphere. Several islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans are also rich and have distinct species of eagles.^[16]

Distribution[edit]

• Australasian
  • Australia: wedge-tailed eagle (range extends into southern New Guinea), white-bellied sea-eagle (range extends into Asia), little eagle.
  • New Guinea: Papuan eagle, white-bellied sea-eagle, pygmy eagle.
• Nearctic (USA and Canada): golden eagle (also found in Palearctic), bald eagle.
• Neotropical (Central and South America): Spizaetus (four species), solitary eagles (two spp.), harpy eagle, crested eagle, black-chested buzzard-eagle.
• Palearctic
  • Eurasia: Golden eagle,^[17] White-tailed eagle.
• Africa: African fish eagle, Martial Eagle, Crowned eagle, Verreaux’s eagle, Tawny eagle, Long-crested eagle

Groups[edit]

Eagles are often informally divided into four groups.^[a][19]

The snake eagles are placed in the subfamily Circaetinae. The fish eagles, booted eagles, and harpy eagles have traditionally been placed in the subfamily Buteoninae together with the buzzard-hawks (buteonine hawks) and harriers. Some authors may treat these groups as tribes of the Buteoninae; Lerner & Mindell^[20] proposed separating the eagle groups into their own subfamilies of Accipitridae.

Fish eagles[edit]

Sea eagles or fish eagles take fish as a large part of their diets, either fresh or as carrion.

Proposed subfamily Haliaeetinae. Genera: Haliaeetus, Ichthyophaga.

Some authors include Gypohierax angolensis, the «vulturine fish eagle» (also called the palm-nut vulture) in this group.^[19] However, genetic analyses indicate it is related to a grouping of Neophron–Gypaetus–Eutriorchis (Egyptian vulture, bearded vulture (lammergeier), and Madagascar serpent eagle).^[21]

The fish eagles have a close genetic relationship with Haliastur and Milvus; the whole group is only distantly related to the Buteo group.^[21]

Booted eagles[edit]

For the species Hieraaetus pennatus (Aquila pennata), see booted eagle.

Booted eagles or «true eagles»^[19][22] have feathered tarsi (lower legs).

Tribe Aquililae or proposed subfamily Aquilinae. Genera: Aquila, Hieraaetus; Spizaetus, Oroaetus, Spizastur; Nisaetus;^[21] Ictinaetus, Lophoaetus; Polemaetus; and Stephanoaetus.^[19][22]

See comments under eagle species for changes to the composition of these genera.

Snake eagles[edit]

Most snake or serpent eagles, as the name suggests, primarily prey on snakes.

• Subfamily Circaetinae. Genera: Circaetus, Spilornis, Dryotriorchis, Terathopius.^[19]
• Eutriorchis (subfamily Gypaetinae or Circaetinae).

Despite filling the niche of a snake eagle, genetic studies suggest that the Madagascar serpent eagle (Eutriorchis) is not related to them.^[21]

Harpy eagles[edit]

Harpy eagles^[19] or «giant forest eagles»^[18] are large eagles that inhabit tropical forests. The group contains two to six species, depending on the author. Although these birds occupy similar niches and have traditionally been grouped, they are not all related: the solitary eagles are related to the black hawks and the Philippine eagle to the snake eagles.

• Harpy eagles (proposed subfamily Harpiinae)
  • Harpia harpyja, harpy eagle ― Central and South America.
  • Morphnus guianensis, crested eagle ― Central and South America.
  • Harpyopsis novaeguineae, Papuan eagle ― New Guinea.
• Philippine eagle
  • Pithecophaga jefferyi, Philippine eagle ― Philippines.
• Solitary eagles
  • Chaco eagle or crowned solitary eagle, Buteogallus (formerly Harpyhaliaetus) coronatus ― South America.
  • Solitary eagle or montane solitary eagle, Buteogallus (formerly Harpyhaliaetus) solitarius ― South America.

Species[edit]

Major new research into eagle taxonomy suggests that the important genera Aquila and Hieraaetus are not composed of nearest relatives, and it is likely that a reclassification of these genera will soon take place, with some species being moved to Lophaetus or Ictinaetus.^[20]

• Bonelli’s eagle and the African hawk-eagle have been moved from Hieraaetus to Aquila.
• Either the greater spotted eagle and lesser spotted eagle should move from Aquila to join the long-crested eagle in Lophaetus, or, perhaps better, all three of these species should move to Ictinaetus with the black eagle.
• The steppe eagle and tawny eagle, once thought to be conspecific, are not even each other’s nearest relatives.

Family Accipitridae

• Subfamily Buteoninae – hawks (buzzards), true eagles and seaeagles
  • Genus Geranoaetus
    • Black-chested buzzard-eagle, Geranoaetus melanoleucus
  • Genus Harpyhaliaetus
    • Chaco eagle, Harpyhaliaetus coronatus
    • Solitary eagle, H. solitarius
  • Genus Morphnus
    • Crested eagle, Morphnus guianensis
  • Genus Harpia
    • Harpy eagle, Harpia harpyja
  • Genus Pithecophaga
    • Philippine eagle, Pithecophaga jefferyi
  • Genus Harpyopsis
    • Papuan eagle, Harpyopsis novaeguineae
  • Genus Spizaetus
    • Black hawk-eagle, S. tyrannus
    • Ornate hawk-eagle, S. ornatus
    • Black-and-white hawk-eagle, S. melanoleucus – formerly Spizastur
    • Black-and-chestnut eagle, S. isidori – formerly Oroaetus
  • Genus Nisaetus – previously included in Spizaetus
    • Changeable hawk-eagle, N. cirrhatus
      • Flores hawk-eagle N. floris – earlier a subspecies, S. c. floris
    • Sulawesi hawk-eagle, N. lanceolatus
    • Mountain hawk-eagle, N. nipalensis
      • Legge’s hawk-eagle, Nisaetus kelaarti – previously a race of S. nipalensis
    • Blyth’s hawk-eagle, N. alboniger
    • Javan hawk-eagle, N. bartelsi
    • (Northern) Philippine hawk-eagle, N. philippensis
      • Pinsker’s hawk-eagle (Southern Philippine hawk-eagle), Nisaetus pinskeri – earlier S. philippensis pinskeri
    • Wallace’s hawk-eagle, N. nanus
  • Genus Lophaetus
    • Long-crested eagle, Lophaetus occipitalis – possibly belongs in Ictinaetus
  • Genus Stephanoaetus
    • Crowned eagle, Stephanoaetus coronatus
    • Malagasy crowned eagle, †Stephanoaetus mahery
  • Genus Polemaetus
    • Martial eagle, Polemaetus bellicosus
  • Genus Hieraaetus
    • Ayres’s hawk-eagle, H. ayresii
    • Little eagle, H. morphnoides
    • Pygmy eagle, H. weiskei – previously subspecies H. m. weiskei
    • Booted eagle, H. pennatus
    • Haast’s eagle, †H. moorei
  • Genus Lophotriorchis
    • Rufous-bellied eagle, L. kienerii

      

  • Genus Aquila
    • Bonelli’s eagle, Aquila fasciata – formerly Hieraaetus fasciatus
    • African hawk-eagle, A. spilogaster – formerly in Hieraaetus
    • Cassin’s hawk-eagle, A. africana – formerly in Hieraaetus or Spizaetus genera
    • Golden eagle, A. chrysaetos
    • Eastern imperial eagle, A. heliaca
    • Spanish imperial eagle A. adalberti
    • Steppe eagle, A. nipalensis
    • Tawny eagle, A. rapax
    • Greater spotted eagle, A. clanga – to be moved to Lophaetus or Ictinaetus
    • Lesser spotted eagle, A. pomarina – to be moved to Lophaetus or Ictinaetus
    • Indian spotted eagle, A. hastata – to be moved to Lophaetus or Ictinaetus
    • Verreaux’s eagle, A. verreauxii
    • Gurney’s eagle, A. gurneyi
    • Wahlberg’s eagle, A. wahlbergi – to be moved to Hieraaetus
    • Wedge-tailed eagle, A. audax
  • Genus Ictinaetus
    • Black eagle, Ictinaetus malayensis
  • Genus Haliaeetus
    • White-tailed eagle, Haliaeetus albicilla
    • Bald eagle, H. leucocephalus
    • Steller’s sea eagle, H. pelagicus
    • African fish eagle, H. vocifer
    • White-bellied sea eagle, H. leucogaster
    • Sanford’s sea eagle, H. sanfordi
    • Madagascar fish eagle, H. vociferoides
    • Pallas’ sea eagle, H. leucoryphus
  • Genus Ichthyophaga
    • Lesser fish eagle, Ichthyophaga humilis
    • Grey-headed fish eagle, I. ichthyaetus

• Subfamily Circaetinae: snake-eagles
  • Genus Terathopius
    • Bateleur, Terathopius ecaudatus
  • Genus Circaetus
    • Short-toed snake eagle, Circaetus gallicus
    • Beaudouin’s snake eagle, Circaetus beaudouini
    • Black-chested snake eagle, C. pectoralis
    • Brown snake eagle, C. cinereus
    • Fasciated snake eagle, C. fasciolatus
    • Western banded snake eagle, C. cinerascens
  • Genus Dryotriorchis
    • Congo serpent eagle, D. spectabilis
  • Genus Spilornis
    • Crested serpent eagle, Spilornis cheela
      • Central Nicobar serpent eagle, S. minimus (subspecies or species)
    • Great Nicobar serpent eagle, S. klossi
    • Mountain serpent eagle, S. kinabaluensis
    • Sulawesi serpent eagle, S. rufipectus
    • Philippine serpent eagle, S. holospilus
    • Andaman serpent eagle, S. elgini
  • Genus Eutriorchis
    • Madagascar serpent eagle, Eutriorchis astur

In culture[edit]

Etymology[edit]

The modern English term for the bird is derived from Latin: aquila by way of French: aigle. The origin of aquila is unknown, but it is believed to possibly derive from aquilus (meaning dark-colored, swarthy, or blackish) as a reference to the plumage of eagles.

Old English used the term earn, related to Scandinavia’s ørn/örn. It is similar to other Indo-European terms for «bird» or «eagle», including Greek: ὄρνις (ornís), Russian: орёл (orël), and Welsh: eryr.

In the southern part of Finland, near the Gulf of Finland, is the town of Kotka, which literally means «eagle», while the town of L’Aquila in the central part of Italy literally means «the eagle».

In Britain before 1678, eagle referred specifically to the golden eagle, with the other native species, the white-tailed eagle, being known as erne. The modern name «golden eagle» for aquila chrysaetos was introduced by the naturalist John Ray.^[23]

The village of Eagle in Lincolnshire, England, has nothing to do with the bird; its name is derived from the Old English words for «oak» and «wood» (compare Oakley).^[24]

Religion and spirituality[edit]

In ancient Sumerian mythology, the mythical king Etana was said to have been carried into heaven by an eagle.^[25] Classical writers such as Lucan and Pliny the Elder claimed that the eagle was able to look directly at the sun, and that they forced their fledglings to do the same. Those that blinked would be cast from the nest. This belief persisted until the Medieval era.^[26]

The eagle is the patron animal of the ancient Greek god Zeus. In particular, Zeus was said to have taken the form of an eagle in order to abduct Ganymede, and there are numerous artistic depictions of the eagle Zeus bearing Ganymede aloft, from Classical times up to the present (see illustrations in the Ganymede (mythology) page.)^[27]

Psalm 103 (in Greek, Latin, and English) mentions renewing one’s youth «as the eagle» (although the Hebrew word נשר apparently means vulture). Augustine of Hippo gives a curious explanation of this in his commentary on the Psalms.^[28]

An eagle is a common form in the Anglican tradition, often used to support the Bible because of the symbolism of spreading the gospel over the world. Additional symbolic meanings for «eagle» include the pronouncements to the Israelites in Exodus 19:4; Psalms 103:5 and Isaiah 40:31.
The United States eagle feather law stipulates that only individuals of certifiable Native American ancestry enrolled in a federally recognized tribe are legally authorized to obtain eagle feathers for religious or spiritual reasons.^[29] In Canada, the poaching of eagle feathers for the booming U.S. market has sometimes resulted in the arrests of First Nations person for the crime.^[30]

The Moche people of ancient Peru worshiped the eagle and often depicted eagles in their art.^[31]

While every Native American tribe has their own set of customs and beliefs, one thing virtually every tribe has in common is a reverence for eagles. Native Americans view them as powerful medicine animals that represent bravery, honor, and insight. In addition, because eagles have the ability to fly, many tribes view them as having a connection to the Creator and possessing the ability to communicate with both the physical and supernatural worlds. In fact, the mythical Native American bird, the thunderbird, is based on the eagle and yet is considered to have even greater powers.

For Native Americans, eagle feathers are also sacred. Eagles and their feathers are protected under federal law. However, Native Americans with certified ancestry are permitted to obtain and use eagle feathers in spiritual ceremonies. Traditionally, when a warrior displayed bravery in a battle, he was given an eagle feather. Hence, the iconic headdresses worn by the plains tribes that contained many eagle feathers represented a brave and powerful warrior. In addition, Native Americans believe that if a person finds an eagle feather on the ground, it is a gift from the Sky and the Earth.^[32]

Heraldry[edit]

Eagles are an exceptionally common symbol in heraldry, being considered the «King of Birds» in contrast to the lion, the «King of Beasts». Whereas the lion (e.g. England) usually represents authority, the eagle is the symbol of power. They are particularly popular in Germanic countries such as Austria, due to their association with the Holy Roman Empire. The eagle of the Holy Roman Empire was two-headed, supposedly representing the two divisions, East and West, of the old Roman Empire. This motif, derived from the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire was also adopted by the Russian Empire and is still featured in the Flag of Albania. The Roman eagle was preceded by the eagle of Ptolemaic Egypt and the Achaemenid Empire. In the coat of arms of Kotka, Finland, the eagle is depicted carrying an anchor and the caduceus on its feet.

Heraldic eagles are most often found displayed, i.e. with their wings and legs extended. They can also occur close, i.e. with their wings folded, or rising, i.e. about to take flight. The heads, wings, and legs of eagles can also be found independently.

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• PBS Nature: Eagles
• Eagle photos Archived 6 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine on Oriental Bird Images
• Eagle videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Web of the Conservation Biology Team-Bonelli’s Eagle, of the University of Barcelona
• Decorah Eagles: 24/7 Live Webcam from The Raptor Resource Project Archived 1 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
• EagleCAM: White-bellied Sea Eagles Live Webcam at Discovery Centre in Sydney, Australia
• «Eagle» . New International Encyclopedia. 1905.