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Concept
Eastern imperial eagle
Summary
The eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca) is a large bird of prey that breeds in southeastern Europe and extensively through West and Central Asia. Most populations are migratory and winter in northeastern Africa, the Middle East and South and East Asia. Like all eagles, the eastern imperial eagle is a member of the family Accipitridae. Furthermore, its feathered legs mark it as a member of the subfamily Aquilinae. It is a large, dark-colored eagle, with a resemblance to other members of the genus Aquila but it is usually the darkest species in its range. This is an opportunistic predator that mostly selects smallish mammals as prey but also a fairly large proportion of birds, reptile and other prey types, including carrion. Compared to other Aquila eagles, it has a strong preference for the interface of tall woods with plains and other open, relatively flat habitats, including the wooded mosaics of the steppe. Normally, nests are located in large, mature trees and the parents raise around one or two fledglings. The global population is small and declining due to persecution, loss of habitat and prey. It has therefore been IUCN Red Listed as Vulnerable since 1994.
The eastern imperial eagle is a member of the Aquilinae or booted eagles, a rather monophyletic subfamily of the accipitrid family. At least 38 species are currently housed in the subfamily, all with signature well-feathered tarsi. This species is a member of the genus Aquila, which are mostly large, fairly dark colored eagles distributed largely through the more open habitats of Eurasia and Africa (with one in North America and a couple in Australasia). Studies on DNA have indicated that the imperial eagle is part of a subgroup with other moderately sized Aquila such as the steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis) and the tawny eagle (Aquila rapax). Despite the outward resemblance to the imperial eagle, the 4 species in the golden eagle subgroup appear to be rather more closely related to the dissimilarly smallish and pale-bellied sister species, African hawk eagle (Aquila spilogaster) and Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasicata).
Official source
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