Booted Eagle

Hieraaetus pennatus

Wingspan

110–135cm

Body length

40–50cm

Weight

650–750g

Profile

Life expectancy
Clutch size: 1–2 eggs
Global status
Activity
Migration

Identification

About the size of a buzzard, with six clearly fingered primaries and a relatively long tail. The pale morph shows a striking light–dark contrast; the dark morph is brown.

Colours

Plumage

Eyes

Legs & feet

Adult · Pale

A whitish body and pale underwing coverts contrast with dark flight feathers. The tail is a paler grey-brown; small pale shoulder patches may stand out.

Pale and dark Booted Eagles belong to the same species. Both morphs occur in both sexes and in juveniles too; brown intermediate forms are possible.

Behaviour

European breeders mostly migrate to Africa. Pale and dark birds can pair with each other; the morphs are not subspecies.

Breeding & rearing

It builds its nest mainly in tall trees. The young hatch after about 37–40 days and leave the nest after around eight weeks.

Diet

Prey examples

Songbirds

Lizards

Mice

Small birds, lizards and small mammals make up the diet. The proportions differ between breeding grounds and wintering grounds.

Occasional

Grasshoppers

Hunting

It scans forest edges and open areas while circling. With wings folded it plunges onto small birds, lizards or mammals and can also pursue prey between trees.

Distribution

Range

Southern Europe to Central Asia; Africa & South Asia

Status in Germany

Rare visitor

Habitat

Open woodland with old nest trees and adjacent scrub, pastures and fields. In winter also savannahs and other open country.

Old mixed broadleaf forest with clearings and forest edges — Forests

Open meadows, fields and varied hedgerow landscape — Meadows & fields

Open grassland with scattered acacias — Savannahs