Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)

Other Names (World)
Eastern Imperial Eagle, Imperial Eagle

Family
Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles)

Size
72 - 85 cm
Wingspan: 176 - 216 cm

First Described (Guide)
Savigny, 1809

Habitat
Montane and lowland forest below 1800 m, steppe and agricultural areas. Wetlands in winter.

Range (Guide)

Afghanistan (NB), Armenia (B), Austria (B) (NB), Azerbaijan (B) (NB), Bangladesh (NB), Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B), Bulgaria (B) (NB) (P), Cambodia (NB), China (mainland) (B) (NB) (P), Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (B) (P), Cyprus (B) (NB), Czech Republic (B) (NB), Djibouti (NB) (P), Egypt (NB) (P), Eritrea (NB), Ethiopia (NB) (P), Georgia (B) (NB) (P), Greece (B) (NB) (P), Hong Kong (China) (NB), Hungary (B) (NB), India (NB), Iran [Islamic Republic of] (B) (NB) (P), Iraq (NB) (P), Israel (NB) (P), Japan (NB), Jordan (NB) (P), Kazakhstan (B), Kenya (NB), Kuwait (NB) (P), Kyrgyzstan (B), Laos (P), Lebanon (NB) (P), Macao (China), Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (B) (NB) (P), Moldova [Republic of] (B), Mongolia (B) (P), Montenegro (B) (P), Nepal (NB) (P), Oman (NB) (P), Pakistan (B) (NB), Palestinian Authority Territories, Romania (B) (NB) (P), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B), Russia (European) (B) (NB) (P), Saudi Arabia (NB) (P), Serbia (B) (P), Singapore (NB), Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (B) (NB), South Korea (NB), Sudan (NB), Syrian Arab Republic (NB) (P), Taiwan (China) (NB) (P), Tanzania [United Republic of] (NB), Thailand (NB), Turkey (B) (NB), Turkmenistan (B), Ukraine (B) (NB) (P), United Arab Emirates (NB) (P), Uzbekistan (B), Vietnam (NB), Yemen (NB) (P).

Vagrant to Belarus (NB), Cameroon, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Lithuania, Malaysia (NB), Morocco, Myanmar, North Korea (NB), Poland, Slovenia, Sweden.

Central Europe and Turkey east to Transbaikalia and Mongolia. Winters south to eastern Africa, Arabia, northern India and eastern China.

Population
Estimated population is 5,200 - 16,800 (2010) and decreasing.

Status VU
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Voice
Very vocal, especially during aerial display. A series of deep quacking barks 'kuwa kuwa kuwa' or 'owk-owk-owk...'. A squealing whistled 'skiwip'.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (11)...)

Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) [XC731082]
by id from Uckermark (near Zichow), Brandenburg, Germany (call)

Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) [XC468164]
by Jarek Matusiak from Ko\u0161ick\u00fd kraj, Slovakia (flight call)

Subspecies
Often considered conspicific with Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aquila adalberti), but recent studies indicate that they are distinct species, differing notably in morphology and ecology. Forms superspecies with Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aquila adalberti). Eastern populations have occasionally been separated in subspecies ricketti.

No subspecies.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

For more information about the Imperial Eagle see... Show Articles

BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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