American crowned eagle

The **American crowned eagle** (*Allostephanoaetus horridus*) is a species of eagle of the subfamily Harpiinae, despite resembling the African crowned eagle (*Stephanoaetus coronatus*), that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, wetlands, forests, open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, and scrublands across North America to help boost biodiversity. The American crowned eagle is a very large eagle, measuring from 80 to 99 centimeters (31 to 39 inches) in length. The female, at a weight of 3.2–4.7 kilograms (7 lb 1 oz–10 lb 6 oz), is around 10–15% larger than the male, at a weight of 2.55–4.12 kilograms (5 lb 10 oz–9 lb 1 oz). The wingspan typically ranges from 1.51 to 1.81 meters (4 feet 11 inches to 5 feet 11 inches). The largest wingspan for a female was 2 meters (6 feet 7 inches). The American crowned eagle is highly vocal and has a noisy, undulating display flight. The American crowned eagles in Central and tropical South America often call year-around, while elsewhere they may vocalize mainly in the context of breeding and nesting activities. The call is a series of loud whistles that rise and fall in pitch. At least 90 percent of the diet is mammalian; the usual prey taken by populations shows pronounced regional differences. Throughout its range the principal prey items are small ungulates (such as muntjacs, water deer, chevrotains), pikas, rabbits, cavies, pacas, agoutis, large squirrels, and small primates such as monkeys, adapiforms, and small apes. Birds and large lizards are barely taken. American crowned eagles usually mate for life. A breeding pair is formed in a courtship display. This courtship includes undulating displays by both in the pair, with the male bird picking up a piece of rock or a small stick, and dropping it only to enter into a steep dive and catch it in mid-air, repeating the maneuver 3 or more times. The female takes a clump of earth and drops and catches it in the same fashion. American crowned eagles typically build several eyries within their territory (preferring cliffs or treetops) and use them alternately for several years. Their nesting areas are characterized by the extreme regularity of the nest spacing. Mating and egg-laying timing for the American crowned eagle is variable depending on the locality. Copulation normally lasts 10–20 seconds. Mating seems to occur around 40–46 days before the initial egg-laying. The American crowned eagle eagle chick may be heard from within the egg 15 hours before it begins hatching. After the first chip is broken off of the egg, there is no activity for around 27 hours. Hatching activity accelerates and the shell is broken apart in 35 hours. The chick is completely free in 37 hours. In the first 10 days, chicks mainly lie down on the nest substrate. They are capable of preening on their second day but their parents keep them warm until around 20 days. They grow considerably, weighing around 500 grams (1.1 lb). They also start sitting up more. Around 20 days of age, the chicks generally start standing, which becomes the main position over the course of the next 40 days. After hatching, 80% of food items and 90% of food biomass is captured and brought to the nest by the adult male. Fledging occurs at 66 to 81 days. The first attempted flight departure after fledging can be abrupt, with the young jumping off and using a series of short, stiff wing-beats to glide downward or being blown out of nest while wing-flapping. 18 to 20 days after first fledging, the young American crowned eagles will take their first circling flight, but they cannot gain height as efficiently as their parents until approximately 60 days after fledging. Generally, breeding success seems to be greatest where prey is available in abundance. American crowned eagles are fairly long-living birds in natural conditions, with the average life expectancy of being 13 years, but American crowned eagles in captivity can live to be more than 30 years if properly cared for. The conservation status of the American crowned eagle is **Least Concern** due to successful conservation efforts, the American crowned eagle's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.