Eastern imperial eagle

Most populations are migratory and winter in northeastern Africa, the Middle East and South and East Asia.

Compared to other Aquila eagles, it has a strong preference for the interface of tall woods with plains and other open, relatively flat habitats, including the wooded mosaics of the steppe. Normally, nests are located in large, mature trees and the parents raise around one or two fledglings.

Distribution and habitat

The eastern imperial eagle is found as far west as east-central and southeastern Europe. The European part of its breeding range includes eastern Austria, eastern Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, eastern Croatia, Serbia, northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and northern, western and much of the eastern part of the Ukraine. The species distribution continues across central Russia, where it is found through most of the Central Federal District, essentially all of the North Caucasian Federal District, most of the Volga and Ural Federal Districts (excluding the northern parts), and the southern part of Siberia past Lake Baikal to the Transbaikalia in the landlocked southwest of the Russian Far East. Out of Russia, their breeding extends south to mostly the northern portions of the following nations: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, much of Kazakhstan, northwestern China (Xinjiang) and northern Mongolia. Isolated populations also persist in northwestern, central and eastern Turkey, Cyprus, and northern Iran. As a breeding species, they are probably extirpated from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The eastern imperial eagle is distributed as a breeding species largely along the southern edge of the vast taiga forests. The habitat preferred by the species is often rather open country with scattered trees or more enclosed woodlands, as well as around or near wetlands. The imperial eagle often forages mainly in open areas, extending to beyond typical assorted grasslands to wetlands and agricultural areas. In more extensive wooded areas, eastern imperial eagles require glades or meadows in order to executive hunting.

Hunting

They eat small mammals such as susliks (ground squirrels), marmots, gerbils, hamsters, and hares; reptiles including tortoises, insects, carrion; and birds such as goose, ducks, crows, pigeons, game birds, and even flamingos. In addition, they have also been recorded killing other raptors up to the size of Circus cyaneus (Northern Marsh Harrier). They rarely eat fish. Most of their live prey weighs under 2 kg. Hunting is done alone or with a partner. They sometimes steal food from other birds of prey, behavior known as kleptoparasitism. They also wait on the ground by rodent burrows for prey to emerge.

Vocalizations

The eastern imperial eagle is quite vocal on their breeding ground but tends to be silent or nearly so elsewhere. The main call of the species is a deep, harsh bark owk owk, gok gok or kraw-kraw. The call tends to be repeated rapidly up to 8-10 times. Their call is perceptibly deeper and harsher than that of the golden eagle, somewhat incongruously also being more resonant and commanding. Sometimes when extending to a prolonged version, its call is sometimes considered reminiscent of the croak of a large frog.

Conservation status

Eastern Imperial Eagles face many threats including habitat loss, nest robbing, shooting and poisoning, illegal trading, electrocution along power lines, and prey shortages, particularly of susliks. These factors also extend to migrating eagles, so they do not affect just a single part of the population. Eastern Imperial Eagles have been listed as Vulnerable by BirdLife International.