Booted eagle
Hieraaetus pennatus
Jason Oxley · Cape Farms
Key facts in one look
- Diet
- Small birds, rodents, reptiles
- Status in Georgia
- Breeding bird and passage migrant
- Recorded regions
- Adjara; Mtskheta-Mtianeti; Kakheti; Kvemo Kartli; Tbilisi; Samtskhe-Javakheti; Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti; Shida Kartli; Abkhazia
- Size
- About 40 cm, wingspan 1.1–1.32 m
- Habitat
- Wooded hills with open ground, up to 3,000 m
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Protection
- Globally LC (2021); in Georgia LC (2024)
The booted eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) is a small eagle: it is about 40 cm long, with a wingspan of 1.1–1.32 m. The male weighs 510–770 g and the female 840–1025 g. It has two clearly different forms: a pale one with a darker head and flight feathers, and a dark, mid-brown one. It is harmless to people. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a breeding bird and passage migrant. Most observations fall in September, followed by April, August and May. It occurs in Adjara, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Tbilisi, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Shida Kartli and Abkhazia. Both globally and in Georgia it is rated Least Concern (LC).
Identification
Booted eagle: how to identify it
A small, compact eagle with feathered legs. The pale form is pale below, with a dark head and dark flight feathers, and the dark form is brown all over. Both forms have small white patches at the wing base, visible on a bird flying towards you.
It is about 40 cm long, with a wingspan of 1.1–1.32 m. The male weighs 510–770 g and the female 840–1025 g. The female is heavier than the male.
The pale form is mainly pale grey, with a darker head and flight feathers. The dark form is mid-brown, with dark grey flight feathers. Both forms have small white patches on the leading edge of the wing, next to the body, likened to an aircraft's landing lights. The forms are inherited, and the pale form is dominant. The dark form is much more common in the east of the range, for example in Russia.
The pale form is hard to mistake for another species. The dark form, however, is easily confused with other medium-sized raptors, such as Buteo buteo and Milvus migrans. The booted eagle flies fairly low, which makes it easy to notice.
Colour
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
Often confused with
It is a bird of wooded, often hilly country, where patches of forest alternate with open ground. In such places it occurs up to 3,000 m. A mix of woodland and open areas such as fields suits it best. It breeds in coniferous and deciduous woodland, often in trees. On migration it uses almost any habitat except dense forest. In Georgia most records come from Adjara, mainly on the September migration. There are many records from Mtskheta-Mtianeti and Kakheti, and fewer from Kvemo Kartli, Tbilisi, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Shida Kartli and Abkhazia. It is also seen in June and July in Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Tbilisi, Shida Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti. In Guria and Imereti there are only a few records.
The booted eagle map combines public iNaturalist observations from Georgia. Regions are taken from the records-by-region table, and the status column separates regions with enough records from regions with too few records. Nine regions have enough records: Adjara, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Tbilisi, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Shida Kartli and Abkhazia.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Region with records
It feeds mainly on small birds, and also takes small mammals and reptiles. It hunts from the air: it circles at about 200–300 m above the ground, then drops quickly onto prey with wings folded and feet extended.
It is mainly a migrant. Northern birds leave their breeding grounds in September and return in March and April. They spend November to February in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia. On migration it partly travels on a broad front and crosses the sea, but many birds pass through narrow bottlenecks. It is usually seen alone or in pairs, rarely forms groups of more than five even on migration, and keeps away from other raptors. In Georgia most observations fall in April–June and August–September, with the most in September. Its call is a shrill 'kli-kli-kli'. It is monogamous, and in spring pairs perform elaborate aerial displays. It builds a stick nest lined with green leaves in a tree or on a crag, or takes over the old nest of another large bird, such as a black kite or grey heron. It lays 1–2 eggs. The female incubates for about 45 days while the male feeds her. After hatching the female guards the nest, and only the male brings food. The chick fledges at 70–75 days.
Globally the booted eagle is rated Least Concern (LC, 2021). There are 150,000–195,000 mature birds, and numbers are stable, rising in Europe and North Africa. Locally it is declining because of forest destruction, disturbance, persecution and falling prey numbers. Threats include habitat damage, pesticides, wind farms and power lines: in Spain in 1990–2006 power lines caused 19.5% of booted eagle deaths. The species is listed in Appendix II of CITES and of the Bonn Convention. The 2024 Georgian checklist also rates it Least Concern in Georgia (LC).
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Yes. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a breeding bird and passage migrant. It is seen most often in September.
In Adjara, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Tbilisi, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Shida Kartli and Abkhazia. The most birds pass through Adjara in September.
It is a small eagle with feathered legs. The pale form is pale below, with a dark head and flight feathers, and the dark form is brown. Both have small white patches at the wing base.
It is about 40 cm long, with a wingspan of 1.1–1.32 m. The male weighs 510–770 g and the female 840–1025 g.
Mainly small birds, as well as small mammals and reptiles. It drops onto prey from high up with its wings folded.
In a tree or on a crag, in a nest of sticks lined with green leaves. Sometimes it takes over the old nest of a black kite or grey heron.
The booted eagle is harmless to people. Both globally and in Georgia it is rated Least Concern (LC). The species is listed in Appendix II of CITES.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
