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Tawny Eagle

Aquila rapax · Species of bird
Order
Accipitriformes
Conservation
VU Vulnerable
Codes
taweag1, TAEA

About the Tawny Eagle

The tawny eagle is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Its heavily feathered legs mark it as a member of the subfamily Aquilinae, also known as booted eagles. Tawny eagles have an extensive but discontinuous breeding range that constitutes much of the African continent as well as the Indian subcontinent, with rare residency in the southern Middle East. Throughout its range, it favours open dry habitats such as semideserts, deserts steppes, or savanna plains. Despite its preference for arid areas, the species seldom occurs in areas where trees are entirely absent. It is a resident breeder which lays one to three eggs in a stick nest most commonly in the crown of a tree. The tawny eagle is perhaps the most highly opportunistic of all Aquilinae, and often scavenges on carrion or engages in kleptoparasitism towards other carnivorous animals but is also a bold and active predator, often of relatively large and diverse prey. It is estimated that tawny eagles can reach the age of 16 years old. Nonetheless, precipitous declines have been detected throughout the tawny eagle's range. Numerous factors, particularly loss of nesting habitat due to logging and global warming, as well as persecution and other anthropogenic mortality are driving the once numerous tawny eagle perhaps to the brink of extinction.

Source: Wikipedia

Taxonomy & Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderAccipitriformes
FamilyHawks, Eagles, and Kites (Accipitridae)
SpeciesAquila rapax
Species Codestaweag1, TAEA
ConservationVU Vulnerable

Frequently Asked Questions

What family does the Tawny Eagle belong to?

The Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax) belongs to the Hawks, Eagles, and Kites family (Accipitridae), in the order Accipitriformes.

What is the conservation status of the Tawny Eagle?

The Tawny Eagle is classified as "Vulnerable" (VU) by IUCN Red List.

How can I identify the Tawny Eagle?

The tawny eagle is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Its heavily feathered legs mark it as a member of the subfamily Aquilinae, also known as booted eagles. Tawny eagles have an extensive but discontinuous breeding range that constitutes much of the Africa...

Where can I report a Tawny Eagle sighting?

You can log sightings of Tawny Eagle on eBird (ebird.org) using species code taweag1, or on iNaturalist.