Hieraaetus fasciatus (Bonelli's Eagle)

Scientific name: Hieraaetus fasciatus (Vieillot, 1822)

Bird group: Birds-of-prey

Field characters. Length 65-72 cm; wingspan 150-170 cm. Adult shows contrast between white body and forewing and long, narrow and rather dark wings with paler bases to flight feathers. Upperparts are grey-brown with white back/mantle patch of variable size; rather long tail has pale base. Juvenile with reddish brown head and streaked underbody; tail lightly barred; white back (not mantle) patch and uppertail coverts. Immatures become progressively more white. Soars with wings held flat or slightly above the horizontal; flight is swift and powerful.

Voice. Main call is a melodious fluting "klu-klu-klu-kluee".

Distribution. Rare resident.

Habitat. Breeds in mountainous areas where nest is built on rocky crags but also in trees; outside the breeding season, frequents lowland habitats.

Food. Hunts from cover or by quartering ground. Prey mainly medium-sized mammals and birds.

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