Booted Eagle
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The Booted Eagle (Aquila pennatus) is a large bird of prey. It is about 47 cm in length and has a wingspan of 120cm. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae.
It breeds in southern Europe, north Africa and across Asia. It is migratory and winters in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia. This eagle lays 1-2 eggs in a tree or crag nest.
This is a species of wooded, often hilly, country with some open areas. It hunts small mammals, reptiles and birds.
This is a small eagle, similar to the Common Buzzard in size, but more eagle-like in shape. Males grow to about 700 grams in weight and females close to 1 kilogram. There are two plumage forms. Pale birds are mainly light grey with a darker head and flight feathers. The other form has mid-brown plumage with dark grey flight feathers.
The call is a shrill kli-kli-kli.
Recent DNA research resulted in this species being moved to the genus Aquila from Hieraaetus.
References
- BirdLife International (2004). [Hieraaetus pennatus]. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Splitting headaches? Recent taxonomic changes affecting the British and Western Palaearctic lists - Martin Collinson, British Birds vol 99 (June 2006), 306-323
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