Booted Eagle - Hieraaetus pennatus

Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)

Bramiana Reservoir, Crete
October 2002

Booted Eagle breeds in western Europe and north Africa as well as in eastern Europe through the Caucasus to southern Siberia. It mainly migrates to winter quarters in sub-Saharan Africa and India but a few birds overwinter in southern Europe and this bird in Crete on 25th October may be one of them.

In general, migration south begins late August and most birds have migrated by mid-October. They return in March / April.

It is essentially a forest bird but it likes to be near more open country for some of its foraging. It preys on small to medium sized birds, lizards and mammals up to the size of rabbits. It captures its prey by swift dives through foliage or after soaring over open country.

Identification is relatively easy when we have a light morph as in this case. This has a pale underbody, whitish underwing coverts with scattered brown spots and these contrast with dark flight feathers. Note the paler panel on the inner primaries

They are usually solitary or in pairs and, during spring, they perform a spectacular and vocal sky-dance.

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