Eagle, the guardian of God

The king of the air

Eagle, the guardian of God

These birds have sharp talons and beaks, large wings, strong legs, and developed vision, hearing, and sense of smell. They are called kings of the air.

Eagle, the king of the air that rules over the sky

Birds of prey are carnivorous birds that hunt and prey on other animals. These birds have sharp talons and beaks, large wings, strong legs, and developed vision, hearing, and sense of smell. They are called kings of the air. 

Birds of prey are falconiformes, which normally hunt during the day. The species that hunt at night are owls.

Birds of prey refer to diurnal falconiformes, which originates from the Latin word ‘Raptare,’ meaning ‘to capture and take.’ They are more commonly known as raptors. These birds that belong to the highest class of most ecosystems face severe threats to survival, due to the destruction of nature and environmental pollution caused by things such as the development of civilization and excessive human interference. For this reason, many species have been designated as endangered species by a number of countries, allowing them to be protected and managed by law.

Out of all of God’s creation, from the time of the pterosaur during the Triassic period until the time since humans have begun to fly with planes, the eagle is currently one of the biggest and strongest species of birds that rulest over the air.

Among the birds of prey, we will learn more about eagles, which are birds that you may find soaring in small or big flocks in the high, blue winter sky.

The eagle, a bird of prey

Eagles are a species that normally feeds on carcasses, so they are somewhat different from other birds of prey.

In the Korean word for eagle, ‘Doksoori,’ ‘dok’ means bald head or shaved head. Twenty-three species of eagles inhabit the world. They are widely dispersed throughout the world like crows, and can be found wherever carcassess are. The common characteristic among the majority of eagles is the missing or sparse feathers on their heads. 

Eagles are large birds of prey with a set of very long wings. They usually look for the carcasses or the traces of them as they glide in the air. Their wing muscles are well-developed compared to the size of their wings, so they often use updrafts to fly. They reproduce on top of tall trees, or cliffs of high mountains with an altitude range of dozens of meters to thousands of meters high. Since they like open environments, they favor large grassland areas.

Eagles generally don’t have feathers on their heads, or if they do, they have fine soft hair. They have long necks that are scrunched inward when they fly, and their talons are short compared to their body size. Eagles play the role of cleaners, which dispose of dead animals.

Eagles are typically in dark brown, but they sometimes appear to be black. Their wings are wide from 1.5 to 2m long, but their tails are relatively short. The black feathers on their head fall out with age, and when they become fully grown, their feathers turn into short, fur-like hair. On the back of their heads and necks are long feathers that look like a mane. It takes six to seven years for them to become adults.

Most eagles inhabit South Europe, Central Asia, Tibet, Mongolia, and Northeast China. They are occasionally sighted in Wolmyeongdong as well during the winter. These birds actively search for nonspecific prey within a wide range of areas, and they move south in the winter for food. So they often come to Korea, which is in the south. In the past, they were sometimes seen across the country, but now, they spend the winter in large flocks in certain regions where they have been fed consistently. They have become an attraction to people, especially in areas such as the Cheolwon of Gangwon Province, Goseong of Gyeongnam Province, Gimhae, and Changnyeong. They are under [the government’s] protection and management because they have been designated as Level 2 endangered species by the Ministry of Environment and as Natural Monument No. 243-1 by the Cultural Heritage Administration.

The guardian of the sky that looks intimidating, but is in fact nice and gentle

In children’s books or animations, eagles are portrayed as kings of the air, and we also have such an impression of them. This is because we feel a sort of religious reverence or strong charisma from very large black birds that fly and circle in the sky.

However, as ornithologists study eagles, they find that eagles are nothing like the almighty kings of the air. They are timid and gentle birds. On bird-watching days when children go to see eagles, the kings of the air, the children often end up in laughter as they become curious and puzzled by the eagles that are chased by magpies, are afraid of people, and make chick-like sounds. 

As a religious person, not an ornithologist, I consider eagles as the cleaners of the sky. Although they look strong and frightening, they are weak and gentle. I think they are like the guardians of God that clean and purify our filthiness.