Booted Eagle

Booted Eagle
: Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Accipitriformes : Accipitridae : Hieraaetus : pennatus
Binomial name
Hieraaetus pennatus (Gmelin, 1788)

The Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus 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.