Booted Eagle
Aquila pennata

>> GENERAL >>>>>

– buzzard-sized raptor
– diurnal migrant, strictly over land
– usually migrates singly
– at migration bottlenecks sometimes mixed with other raptors

>> VISUAL ID >>>>>


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, PALE 2CY
BIF2762, 03/05/2008, Valencia, Spain, Martin Grimm
– light morph, unmistakable! Largely white Body and underwing coverts and dusky remiges
– contrast between dark secondaries and lighter inner primaries
– Aged as 2CY due to uniformly `S´-shaped trailing edge to the wing and clean rufous hood


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, PALE 2CY
BIF2763, 03/05/2008, Valencia, Spain, Martin Grimm
– on the upperside contrasting pale uppertail coverts and pale greater coverts band


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, PALE 2CY
BIF2764, 03/05/2008, Valencia, Spain, Martin Grimm
– the contrast between all dark secondaries and pale inner primaries is distinctive also on upperside


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, PALE 2CY
BIF2765, 03/05/2008, Valencia, Spain, Martin Grimm
– typical head-on view with slightly hanging ‘hand’


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, DARK 2CY
BIF2766, 19/06/2016, Khovsgol, Mongolia, Martin Grimm
– usually clearly visable white ‘position lights’ are revealing


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, IMED 2CY
BIF1518, 28/05/2011, Mongolia, Mathias Putze
– from below white ‘position lights’ often not visable
– contrast between dusky secondaries and lighter inner primaries
– tail rather short
– aged as 2CY by uniform plumage and worn off translucent light trailing edge to the wing


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, IMED 2CY
BIF1517, 28/05/2011, Mongolia, Mathias Putze
– from this angle difficult to rule out Black Kite (BIF1303) but note large bill and dark head, barring of secondaries with more contrast


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, DARK AD
BIF1513, 06/06/2016, Mongolia, Mathias Putze


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, DARK AD
BIF1514, 06/06/2016, Mongolia, Mathias Putze
– same as BIF1513, uniform dark-brown underside and underwing slightly contrasting to paler, cream-colored vent
– six long ‘fingers’ separate it from any Buteo sp. or dark JUV European Honey Buzzard


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, DARK AD
BIF1515, 07/06/2016, Mongolia, Mathias Putze
– different generations of primaries
– rectrices with broad subterminal band, increasingly less patterned from central to outermost tail feather


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, DARK AD
BIF1516, 07/06/2016, Mongolia, Mathias Putze
– same as BIF1515, contrast between secondaries and primaries barely visible against the bright sky


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, PALE 2CY
BIF1523, 20/04/2011, Maylytogay, Kazakstan, Patrick Franke


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, PALE 2CY
BIF1524, 20/04/2011, Maylytogay, Kazakstan, Patrick Franke


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, IMED 2CY
BIF1522, 06/06/2016, Mongolia, Mathias Putze
– aged as 2CY due to uniformly light trailing edge to wing and tail


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, IMED AD
BIF1519, 13/08/2011, Besh Barmag, Azerbaijan, Michael Heiß
– IMED morph can resemble IMM Bonelli’s Eagle but note different proportion and missing dark trailing edge to the wing
– outer primaries are not barred (2nd and 3rd outermost primaries missing due to regular moult)


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata, IMED AD
BIF1520, 14/08/2011, Besh Barmag, Azerbaijan, Michael Heiß


Booted Eagle Aquila pennata IMED
BIF1521, 14/06/2011, Mongolia, Mathias Putze

>> ACOUSTIC ID >>>>>

– usually nonvocal during migration

>> COMPARISON SPECIES >>>>>

Bonelli’s Eagle (v)
Black Kite (v)
Black-eared Kite (v)
Yellow-billed Kite (v)
European Honey Buzzard (v)
Western Marsh Harrier (v)

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