Page 416 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

BIRDS OF PREY
Family Accipitridae Species Aquila adalberti Family Accipitridae Species Aquila pomarina
Spanish Imperial Eagle Lesser Spotted Eagle
One of Europe’s big eagles, the Spanish Imperial Eagle This eagle migrates in large flocks into Africa for the
is a bird of lowlands and forested areas. It flies on winter. It is plain brown when adult except for a pale
rather flat wings, unlike the Golden Eagle (see p.126), mark at the base of the primary feathers; the forewing
adults showing a bold white front edge, a pale head, is paler than the hindwing (often uniform, or reversed,
and a two-tone, dark-tipped tail. Juveniles are ginger- on Spotted Eagle).Juveniles have a single line of white
brown with dark wingtips, hindwings, and tail, a pale across the upperwings, a white band above the tail, and
rump, and a whitish band along the upperwing. pale patches on the outer wings.
OCCURRENCE Rare resident in C and OCCURRENCE Breeds in SE
S Spain. Europe north to E Baltic;
VOICE Deep, barking notes. migrates to Africa through
Middle East.
VOICE High-pitched
dark and
pale bands yapping barks.
on wings
pale spots
on wings plain
brown
body
JUVENILE
JUVENILE

Length 72–85cm (28–34in) Wingspan 1.8–2.1m (6–7ft) Length 55–65cm (22–26in) Wingspan 1.43–1.68m (4 3 ⁄4 –5 1 ⁄2ft)

Family Accipitridae Species Aquila clanga Family Accipitridae Species Aquila nipalensis
Spotted Eagle Steppe Eagle
Of the big brown eagles, this is the stockiest and One of the massive, heavy eagles of Asia, migrating
broadest-winged in silhouette.Adults are very dark into Africa for the winter, the Steppe Eagle is closely
except for a small pale patch at the base of the related to the Tawny Eagle. It flies on flat or drooped
primaries and a paler patch above the tail; immatures wings, and immatures have a broad white band
are marked by rows of pale feather tips across the along the middle of the underwings, gradually lost
wings and a white crescent over the tail. over several years until the all-dark adult plumage is
strong,
The strong legs are heavily feathered. yellow- attained. It has a particularly long, protruding head
OCCURRENCE Rare in summer based bill compared with the chunkier spotted eagles.
in E Europe. OCCURRENCE Migrant in Middle East.
VOICE Occasional low barking VOICE Silent on migration.
notes.
pale feather tips broad white band on
across wings underwings
IMMATURE long, protruding
head

IMMATURE
Length 59–69cm (23–27in) Wingspan 1.53–1.77m (5–5 3 ⁄4ft) Length 62–74cm (24–29in) Wingspan 1.65–1.9m (5 1 ⁄2 –6 1 ⁄4ft)
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