| Description |
medium to large bird with a variably tawny head and upper body; hooked bill and fully feathered legs; rounded tail and long wings |
| Sex |
the females are larger than the males; the females may be darker and more streaked |
| Age |
immature birds are paler then the adults |
| Length |
24-28" |
| Wingspan |
5.4-6.1" |
| Weight |
4.29-5.5 lbs. |
| Habitat |
desert, semi-desert, steppes, open savannah; not found in forests or deserts |
| Status |
common resident but locally threatened |
| Range |
Rumania east through the south Russian, south Siberian and Kirghi steppes east through Transbaikalia to Mongolia; south through Arabia, India and in most of Africa |
| Behavior |
nest between March and July on a large stick platform in trees, usually Acacia; usually lay 2 eggs that are white, plain or blotchy with rusty red and gray; the incubation period is 42-44 days with one chick usually killing the other; only the northern populations are migratory; can be found in concentrations where food is plentiful |
| Diet |
mostly fresh carrion; mammals up to rabbit size, small to medium rodents, lizards, snakes, seasonal insects, birds up to the size of a guinea fowl; often pirates food from other raptors; kills prey on the ground |
| Vocalization |
hoarse, sharp barking "kyow"; rather silent except in nuptial display or aggression |
| Other Information |
- Also known as the steppes eagle |
