Booted Eagle
Hieraaetus pennatus
Like a lot of birds of prey, I've seen these flying up high well before I've had the chance to photograph them up close. As it happens I saw one on my first photography trip to Spain (Valencia), so it was a special delight to have the opportunity to take their picture on my second Spanish photography trip (Extremadura). The location was a stunning acorn grove - you know those tasty acorn fed pigs than Spain is so famous for? Yep, those acorns. As well as the oak trees there was a stunning carpet of buttercups. The eagle came in very low and very very fast, much more like a Goshawk than a typical eagle. It was also extremely nervous and spent a good 10 minutes looking around before starting to feed.
Description
The Booted Eagle is a small, compact bird of prey about the size of a buzzard. It is known for having feathers all the way down its legs to the toes. There are two main colour types: pale birds have creamy underparts with dark wing feathers, while dark birds are all brown. When flying, look for pale patches on the shoulders and a square-shaped tail with fine stripes. The bird breeds across southern Europe, Central Asia, and parts of Africa. It moves to sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia during the winter. It passes through Britain mainly in spring and autumn, sometimes staying briefly if it overshoots its usual route. During the breeding season, it prefers open woodlands, forest edges, and wooded hillsides. It hunts over nearby grasslands and scrub, catching small birds, reptiles, and large insects by chasing them low and fast through the air.
Vital statistics
Body length
40 - 50 cm
Weight
0.6 - 1.1 kg
Wingspan
110 - 130 cm
- Vertebrates80%
- Insects15%
- Carrion5%