It lives in waters just off of the Atlantic coast, from the tip of Florida down to Argentina, inhabiting estuaries or bays to give birth during spring and summer and migrating to the open sea in autumn and winter.

The specific countries that the Southern eagle ray is native to are Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

It prefers waters with a soft seabed, composed of elements such as mud, sand, or sea grass.

[7] The following table shows the similarities and differences between the two related species: The Southern eagle ray is a carnivore, mostly feeding on small invertebrates, such as shrimp, crabs, and gastropods.

Adults inhabit the open sea during the autumn and winter, and return to their home location, which is usually an estuary or a bay, in the spring and summer, to give birth.

[10][11] The Southern eagle ray exhibits ovoviviparity, meaning that the eggs remain inside the mother's body until they are ready to hatch.

[1] The Southern eagle ray is often caught intentionally in fishing nets by artisanal fisheries.

Although the intensive fishing has caused a significant decline in many batoid species, it is unknown how this affects eagle rays.