6

Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides) Size: 45-55 cm; wing span 1.1-1.35 m Body mass: 0.6-0.8 kg (male), 0.9-1.2 kg (female) Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.39 (male), 0.55 (female)

Australia: Family Group 6 Family Group 6 Table Osprey Brahminy Kite Whistling Kite Little Eagle Black Kite Square-tailed Kite Black-breasted Buzzard Wedge-tailed Eagle White-bellied Sea-Eagle Spotted Harrier Swamp Harrier Black-shouldered Kite Letter-winged Kite Pacific Baza Collared Sparrowhawk Brown Goshawk Grey Goshawk Red Goshawk Nankeen Kestrel Australian Hobby Peregrine Falcon Brown Falcon Grey Falcon Black Falcon Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Little Eagles are medium-sized birds of prey. They are the smallest eagles in Australia. Their plumage comes in two different morphologies, light and dark. The light morphology is predominantly light-brown, with a creamy belly, vent and legs. The mantle and upperwings are dark-brown with thick light-brown edges to the feathers. Cap and facial mask are mid-brown. The underwing pattern shows black tips on the outer primaries, prominent light-brown wing panels and a light-brown bar across both wings that, combined with the panels, forms a "W" shape. The coverts on the leading edge are mid-brown. The dark morphology is predominantly dark-brown, with mid-brown belly, vent and legs. The upperwings are dark-brown with moderate light-brown edges to the feathers. Cap, facial mask and nape of the neck are dark-brown. The underwing pattern shows mostly dark and mid-grey barred flight feathers, with dark-brown coverts (the same colour as the body). The tails of both morphologies are barred. The bill and feet of both morphologies are grey. The sexes are hard to tell apart in the field. Apart from the fact that females are larger than males, the only morphological difference between the sexes is that males have less streaking down the front than females. Juvenile Little Eagles are richer rufous than adults and have more striation in their plumage, especially on the chest.

Taxonomy, classification See Little Eagle at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Little Eagle is available HERE . Little Eagles, race "morphnoides", are endemic to Australia. They populate the entire Australian continent, except Tasmania. In the most arid parts of the continent (the south-eastern quarter of WA and the Nullarbor) they are only found when there is enough prey, i.e. usually after substantial rainfalls. Little Eagles hunt mostly above open woodland and scrub, including e.g. paddocks with remnant tree populations.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "morphnoides" In December 2008 a Little Eagle, race "morphnoides" (light morphology) was spotted by us 10 km East of Narrabri, NSW, and at Eulah Creek, 20 km East of Narrabri, in April 2009. Since then Little Eagles are seen by us infrequently in north-western NSW, including, e.g., Deriah Aboriginal Area. So far we have almost always seen single Little Eagles, irrespective of the time of year. R. Plumtree reports spotting a Little Eagle, race "morphnoides", at Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, in April 2015. M. Mearns reports spotting a Little Eagle, race "morphnoides", at Cullyamurra Waterhole, near Innamincka, SA, near the border with QLD, in July 2015. In May 2018 we spotted a Little Eagle, race "morphnoides", in Pilliga, NSW. M. Eaton reports spotting a Little Eagle, race "morphnoides", at the Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, in June 2019. Another was found at Bedourie, QLD, in August 2022. In June 2025, a Little Eagle, race "morphnoides", was found by M. Eaton at Lake Moondarra, near Mount Isa, QLD. V. Collins found a Little Eagle, race "morphnoides", near Armidale, NSW, in March 2021.

Photos

Race "morphnoides"

Light morphology

ADULT

MALE

Frontal/ventral view of a male(?) Little Eagle in flight - note the scarcity of streaking down the front (and also the conspicuous "pantaloons") (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Narrabri, NSW, May 2021]

Near-frontal view of a male(?) Little Eagle in flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

Near-frontal view of a male(?) Little Eagle in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2009]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a male(?) Little Eagle in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2024]

Near-lateral view of a soaring male(?) Little Eagle; note the sparcity of streaks down the chest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2009]

Lateral view of a male(?) Little Eagle in flight, harassing a female Swamp Harrier (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Little Eagle in flight (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Cullyamurra Waterhole, near Innamincka, SA, July 2015]

Lateral/ventral view of a male(?) Little Eagle in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2009]

Ventral view of a male(?) Little Eagle being harassed by a White-breasted Woodswallow
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2010]

Dorsal/ventral view of a male(?) Little Eagle in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2024]

FEMALE

Frontal view of an adult female Little Eagle perched in a dead tree; note the copious streaking down the front
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Cullyamurra Waterhole, near Innamincka, SA, July 2015]

Frontal view of a female Little Eagle perched in a dead tree, now with its head turned (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Cullyamurra Waterhole, near Innamincka, SA, July 2015]

Near-frontal view of a female(?) Little Eagle perched in a Currajong tree
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, January 2014]

Near-lateral view of a female(?) Little Eagle perched in a Currajong tree
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, January 2014]

Lateral/ventral view of a female Little Eagle about to depart (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Cullyamurra Waterhole, near Innamincka, SA, July 2015]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a female(?) Little Eagle in flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

Lateral/ventral view of a female Little Eagle in flight
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, September 2023]

Lateral/ventral view of a female(?) Little Eagle in flight (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, April 2015]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a female Little Eagle with a full crop being harassed by a male Australian Magpie
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2024]

Dorsal view of a female(?) Little Eagle in flight (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, April 2015]

2 ventral views of a female Little Eagle showing how varying light conditions can affect the appearance of a bird (photos taken only 9 seconds apart)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2025]

Sex unknown

Dorsal view of a Little Eagle looking back at the observer
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, January 2018]

Dorsal view of a Little Eagle looking back at the observer
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, January 2018]

Not often seen - distant view of the upperwing pattern of a light-morphology Little Eagle
[Near Bellata, NSW, November 2015]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Little Eagle being mobbed by Australian Ravens
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2016]

Little Eagle being mobbed by 9 out of a total of 20-30 Australian Ravens
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2013]

Little Eagle soaring high up in a thermal, with a Wedge-tailed Eagle nearby
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, September 2019]

Dark morphology

Near-frontal/ventral view of a dark morph Little Eagle in flight
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2023]

Lateral/ventral view of a dark morph Little Eagle in flight
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2023]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a dark morph Little Eagle in flight
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2023]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a juvenile Little Eagle on a fence post (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, November 2015]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Little Eagle banking to land on a fence post (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, November 2015]

Near-lateral view of a soaring juvenile Little Eagle (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, November 2015]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Dispersive/sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary

Little Eagle getting in the way of a Nankeen Kestrel (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2021]

Little Eagle getting in the way of a Nankeen Kestrel (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2021]

Food, Diet

All raptors are carnivores. Little Eagles prey on mammals up to the size of possums and birds up to the size of ducks.

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

leagle_20230902.mp3	(NW NSW)	Contact call? female (+2 clicks)	© MD
leagle_20240913.m4a	(NW NSW)	Annoyed calls (female harassed by Aust. Magpie)	© MD

More Little Eagle sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.