Eagle (Books)

Eagles are birds of Prey mentioned very nominally in the How to Train Your Dragon Book series.

Description
Eagle is a loose term to describe about 60 species of birds of prey within the Family Accipitridae, and are otherwise taxonomically unrelated to one another. Accipitridae also includes birds of prey referred to as hawks, buzzards, and vultures. Eagles generally - but not exclusively - refer to very large, solid birds of prey with blocky heads and sharp, curved beaks characteristic of all birds of prey. Eagles actively hunt, but also eat carrion. Specific diet varies, ranging from fish and Waterfowl, to snakes, deer, and even monkeys.

Several species of eagles live in Scandinavia including the wide-spread Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), the White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), and the Greater-spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga).

Function
In the Book series, eagles are only mentioned as metaphors to describe something else.

In real life, however, eagles have a variety of cultural and spiritual symbolism for many cultures around the world. In Norse mythology, eagles were associated with blood, death, and battle. Eagles have also been used for falconry, and even used by humans to hunt grey wolves.

How to Be a Pirate
The term eagle is used to describe Toothless as he sits on an upturned helmet floating in the sea.

"... crouched in an upturned Outcast helmet like a malevolent eagle sitting on a nest, his eyes glowing like candles."

- Book 2