Eagle

29th December 2023

Photo Credit: MaltaGuy1 (Getty Images), CANVA

But love, first learned in a lady’s eyes,

Lives not alone immured in the brain,

But with the motion of all elements

Courses as swift as thought in every power,

And gives to every power a double power,

Above their functions and their offices.

It adds a precious seeing to the eye.

A lover’s eye will gaze an eagle blind

BEROWNE: Love’s Labours Lost, Act 4, Scene 3

EAGLE (GOLDEN) (Aquila chrysaetos)

The Eagle, as symbol of power, royalty, size and good eyesight is one of Shakespeare’s more frequent bird metaphors. He uses the Eagle in 23 of his plays and poems. The Eagle has been a signifier of power for many cultures across the world. The Roman legions had their Eagle standards and the double-headed Eagle was the part of the symbolism of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Romanov Dynasty. The Eagle is still used in heraldry, religion and art as a symbol of power. In the recent coronation of King Charles III the holy oil was contained in a golden, Eagle-shaped ampulla.

Golden Eagles are restricted to the Highlands and West Coast and Islands of Scotland with some successful reintroductions in Ireland. Their numbers are stable and they have been assessed as a species of Least Concern in Britain and also globally. The White Tailed Eagle or Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is the largests bird of prey in the UK. It went extinct in Britain in the early 20th century but is not part of a reintroduction programme.

More Information

Birdlife Datazone: Golden Eagle, White Tailed Eagle

British Trust for Ornitholology (BTO): Golden Eagle, White Tailed Eagle

RSPB: Golden Eagle, White Tailed Eagle