Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax (Temminck, 1828)
58–75 cmLength2.2 kgWeight
The tawny eagle (Aquila rapax) is a large bird of prey.
Busiest months: February and November · Most records: Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: February and November · Most records: Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa
Tawny Eagle has been recorded at 402 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 35 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Tarangire NPTanzania1,016 records
- Nairobi NPKenya838 records
- Tal Chhapar SanctuaryIndia770 records
More places
- Serengeti NPTanzania755 records
- Amboseli NPKenya733 records
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania603 records
- Lake Nakuru NPKenya581 records
- Samburu NRKenya549 records
- Maasai Mara NR – Mara TriangleKenya471 records
- Maasai Mara NRKenya436 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 tawny eagle (Aquila rapax) is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Its heavily feathered legs mark it as a member of the subfamily Aquilinae, also known as booted eagles.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Tawny Eagle?
The Tawny Eagle is about 58–75 cm long and weighs around 2.2 kg.
Where does the Tawny Eagle live?
Its breeding range: Africa: widespread, also India. It is most often recorded in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.
When is the best time to see the Tawny Eagle?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February and November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Tawny Eagle endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Tawny Eagle as Vulnerable.
What does the Tawny Eagle eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the Tawny Eagle in?
It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 58–75 cm
- Weight
- 2.2 kg
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Varied
- Migration
- Migratory
- Conservation
- Vulnerable
More measurements
- Wing
- 507 mm
- Tail
- 242 mm
- Bill
- 54 mm
- Tarsus
- 84 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: widespread, also India
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
- Genus
- Aquila
Other birds in the genus Aquila
Steppe EagleAquila nipalensis
Spanish Imperial EagleAquila adalberti
Eastern Imperial EagleAquila heliaca
Cassin's Hawk-EagleAquila africana
Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos
Bonelli's EagleAquila fasciata
African Hawk-EagleAquila spilogaster
Verreaux's EagleAquila verreauxii
Gurney's EagleAquila gurneyi
Wedge-tailed EagleAquila audax
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Paul Kingsnorth. ↗
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