This is an Indian tawny eagle capturing his prey. Eagles are raptors, which have strong grasping feet with sharp talons for catching and holding prey. Their hooked upper beak tears and kills prey, and their binocular vision allows them depth perception for hunting. The raptor with his capture has become an important symbol to many cultures. We need look no further than the United States Great Seal to see an eagle capturing items with both his talons: In one talon, he has an olive branch, while in the other, arrows, suggesting the capacity for both war and peace. The country to the south of the U.S., Mexico, in its Coat of Arms, also features an eagle capturing an item: The eagle clasps a snake, while perched on a cactus, important imagery to the Aztec founding of their capital. The bird of prey symbology goes back to the Ancient Egyptians, as well. For them, it is the falcon that appears. The falcon is a symbol for Horus and later Ra-Harakhty (Horus is on the horizon), as the Sun God became associated with the Pharoah. Here's two beautiful falcons found in 'King Tut's' tomb: Here the falcon has captured the 'Shen' symbol, heiroglyph for 'infinity'. The falcon in the more usual side facing view, but still holding the 'Shen' symbol, in addition to the 'Ankh' for life Another version of the eagle...

   

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