Bird Album
Black Eagle
Ictinaetus malaiensis (Temminck, 1822)
67–81 cmLength1 kgWeight
The adult is a large, all-black eagle with long, spread wing fingers, flying slowly and sometimes skimming the canopy.
Busiest months: December–February · Most records: China, India, Malaysia
Looks like Changeable Hawk-Eagle
How to identify
Field marks
- Wings broad and long in flight, with deeply separated fingers at wingtips
- Dark brown overall; base of the bill and cere yellow
- Legs feathered; toes yellow, claws black
- Brow ridge prominent
Male, female and young
Sexes similar; juvenile head, underparts and underwing coverts pale yellowish-brown.
Similar species
Where and when it's recorded
Black Eagle has been recorded at 593 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 13 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Danum Valley Borneo Rainforest LodgeMalaysia376 records
- Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural HistoryIndia271 records
- Bukit FraserMalaysia238 records
More places
- PangotIndia232 records
- Tabin Wildlife ReserveMalaysia211 records
- Baihualing [General Area]China201 records
- Nantou – Meifeng Highland Experimental Farm of NTUTaiwan (China)196 records
- College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, PookodeIndia183 records
- Sinharaja Forest ReserveSri Lanka173 records
- Dasyueshan IBA – Hengliu Creek (15K)Taiwan (China)151 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The black eagle (Ictinaetus malaiensis) is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and it is the only member of the genus Ictinaetus. It soars over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South and Southeast Asia, as well as southeastern China, hunting mammals and birds, particularly at their nests.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Black Eagle?
The Black Eagle is about 67–81 cm long and weighs around 1 kg.
Where does the Black Eagle live?
Its breeding range: Oriental: widespread. It is most often recorded in China, India and Malaysia.
When is the best time to see the Black Eagle?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February and December (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Black Eagle endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Black Eagle as Least Concern.
What does the Black Eagle eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the Black Eagle in?
It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 67–81 cm
- Weight
- 1 kg
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Feeds in the air
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 553 mm
- Tail
- 314 mm
- Bill
- 52 mm
- Tarsus
- 69 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Oriental: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Subspecies · 1
- Ictinaetus malaiensis malaiensis Myanmar to s China, se Asia and Indonesian Arch. (except Lesser Sundas)
Classification
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
- Genus
- Ictinaetus
More from the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Pearl KiteGampsonyx swainsonii
Scissor-tailed KiteChelictinia riocourii
White-tailed KiteElanus leucurus
Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
Black-shouldered KiteElanus axillaris
Letter-winged KiteElanus scriptus
African Harrier-HawkPolyboroides typus
Madagascar Harrier-HawkPolyboroides radiatus
Palm-nut VultureGypohierax angolensis
Bearded VultureGypaetus barbatus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by en:User:Kalyanvarma. ↗
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