The booted eagle is a medium-sized mostly migratory bird of prey with a wide distribution in the Palearctic and southern Asia, wintering in the tropics of Africa and Asia, with a small, disjunct breeding population in south-western Africa. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae.
Region
Palearctic and southern Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa across temperate Europe and Central Asia to Mongolia and northern China, with a disjunct breeding population in southwestern Africa. Winters largely in sub‑Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. Prefers open woodlands, forest edges, and mosaics of trees and open country, avoiding dense continuous forest and true deserts. Often selects mature trees or rocky outcrops for nesting near open hunting grounds. Uses agricultural landscapes, steppes, and savannas during migration and winter.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 3000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The booted eagle is a small, agile eagle best known for its feathered tarsi, the 'boots' that give the species its name. It occurs in two color morphs—pale and dark—which can look quite different in the field. In flight it shows distinctive pale 'windows' in the wings and dark carpal patches. It breeds across the Palearctic and parts of southern Asia and winters mainly in sub‑Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Light morph from below
Showing the white marking on the wings termed as "landing lights"
Booted eagle nest
Eggs, in the collection of Museum Wiesbaden
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
soaring glider
Social Behavior
Monogamous pairs defend territories during the breeding season, nesting mostly in trees and occasionally on cliffs. The clutch is typically 1–2 eggs, and both adults participate in provisioning. Outside the breeding season it can congregate loosely at good feeding sites or along migration bottlenecks.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Generally quiet away from the nest; near breeding sites it gives sharp, repeated whistles and yelps. Alarm and territorial calls are higher-pitched, carrying well over forest edges.
