The Eagle Eye

11~17~2023

Eagles have extremely powerful vision. The eyes of an eagle are specially designed for long-distance focus with clarity. The eagle's eye is one of the strongest in the entire animal kingdom (four to eight times stronger than that of the average human). An eagle is able to spot a rabbit 1.98839 miles away

The eyes of the eagle are placed forward on the eagle's head, giving him accurate depth perception. This is important for an eagle when he is pursuing prey. The placement of the eyes also enables the eagle to see each side. 

The eagle can see even with his eyelids shut. In addition to his normal pair of eyelids, the eagle has a set of clear eyelids called nictitating membranes. These eyelids can be closed for protection without affecting the eagle's vision. This eyelid is transparent, and sweeps across the eye from side to side. They evolved this extra layer of protection to keep their eyes moist and clean while still being able to see.

Eagles can voluntarily dilate and constrict their pupils as part of focusing near and far, as well as change the curvature of the cornea. However, it's always been assumed that because they can focus so far away, that they perhaps lose some depth of field close up and that's why they hit cars or wires or fences.

Although an eagle may only weigh 10 pounds, its eyes are roughly the same size as those of a human.

Eagles have excellent vision and concentration. To catch their prey, they focus on it with laser like intensity, and set out to get it.

Eagles have a higher percentage of cone cells than we humans do, so they can't see as well as us at night, even if they do see better in daylight.

Its full-grown wingspan can reach a full eight feet in the biggest birds – wow! – which also allows them to soar on the updrafts of wind to as high as 20,000 feet above the earth. (That's over 3 ¾ miles!) Eagles, as a species, are also the only birds that intentionally fly above storm clouds to avoid the rain.

Eagles love the storm. They get excited when storm clouds gather. Why? They welcome the challenge it brings. They know the storm winds will lift them above the clouds. Above the clouds, they can rest their wings and become stronger.

Adult eagles measure from 30 to 40 inches from head to tail, with a 7-8 foot wingspan, and weigh from 8 to 14 pounds. The female is larger than the male. The distinctive white head and tail feathers appear when the eagles mature at 4 or 5 years old. Bald eagles are believed to live 30 years or longer in the wild.

If you talk about a person's eagle eye, you mean that they are watching someone or something carefully or are very good at noticing things.