Tawny eagle

The tawny eagle is a captivating bird of prey renowned for its impressive size and longevity. Belonging to the Accipitridae family and the Aquilinae subfamily—often referred to as "booted eagles" because of their feather-covered legs—this majestic bird boasts a broad yet patchy breeding range. Tawny eagles are found across much of Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and occasionally in the Middle East. They thrive in open, arid environments, such as semideserts and savannas, but require some tree cover for nesting purposes.

These eagles are resident breeders, remaining in their breeding areas throughout the year. Typically, they lay one to three eggs in expansive stick nests built high in the crowns of trees.

First described in 1828 by Coenraad Jacob Temminck, the tawny eagle belongs to the Aquila genus, which is characterized by large, dark-colored eagles with long wings adapted for open landscapes. Although they were once considered conspecific with the steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis), differences in their morphology, anatomy, and behavior led to their separate classification.

Three recognized subspecies of tawny eagles exist:

- A. r. rapax (found in southern and eastern Africa),

- A. r. belisarius (found in West Africa and southwest Arabia),

- A. r. vindhiana (found in Asia).

Tawny eagles have a distinctive silhouette with a long neck, a deep bill, broad wings, and a slightly rounded tail. Their plumage varies considerably: adults can be grey-brown, rufous-tawny, or buffish-yellow, while juveniles are generally lighter. They measure roughly 58 to 75 cm in length, have wingspans ranging from 157 to 190 cm, and weigh between 1.5 and 3.1 kg. Females are typically larger than males.

Their call is a harsh, hollow-sounding bark, though they are mostly silent when not breeding.

Geographically, tawny eagles are distributed across various parts of Africa and Asia. They prefer open, dry habitats, avoiding extreme deserts and dense rainforests. While generally sedentary, they may undergo seasonal movements, especially in Africa.

Tawny eagles are highly opportunistic when it comes to food. They scavenge for carrion, steal food from other animals, and hunt a wide array of live prey, including mammals, birds, and reptiles. They are known to hunt in groups and frequently follow grassfires to catch prey fleeing from the flames.

Breeding involves constructing large nests out of sticks in tree crowns. They lay one to three eggs, which are incubated for 40-44 days. Both parents care for the young, which fledge at around 10-12 weeks of age.

Regrettably, tawny eagles face numerous threats, including habitat loss, climate change, poisoning, electrocution, and collisions with man-made structures. Conservation efforts are essential to address these challenges and protect their habitats. Due to these threats, their populations are declining, and they are currently classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN.