AQUILA.
Tarsus feathered; tail rounded ; of large size and heavy but powerful flight, capturing prey by pouncing on it, rarely taken on wing; nest of branches on cliffs, trees, or on ground; eggs variable, bluish white unspotted or blotched and marked with violet grey and rich dark red.
Aquila chrysaetus chrysaetus (L.). GOLDEN EAGLE. Er. Aigle dore ; Ger. Steinadler ; Ad. Aquila reale ; Swed. Kungs6rn.
8 9 fully adult. Above brown with some pale margins, crown, nape and hind neck hackles rufous buff ; tail brown with irregular grey bars or patches ; beneath chocolate brown ; tarsi feathered reddish brown. Younger birds arc darker throughout, neck hackles more colour of back and with buff tips ; tail, except tip, white, and more white feathers showing on underparts ; tarsi feathered white, or white with brown markings. Bill blackish horn, lighter at base; nostrils oblong. Cere, legs and feet yellow, claws black horn. Iris varies, yellowish to hazel brown. Wing j 610-65o, 9 650-7o5. Tarsus 96-115. Bill 35-46. Chord of hind claw, 9 44.
Resident.—Scotland ; Continental Europe to Pyrenees and Mediterranean Islands, S. Russia, Caucasus ; and in W. Asia.
A. chrysaetus occidentalis Olphc-Galliard. Darker coloured, crown and nape less tawny ; tarsal feathering brown. Wing 58o-6o0, ? 615-6So (H.).
Resident.—Spain, Morocco, Algeria,Tunis, Tripoli.
Aquila heliaca heliaca Savigny. IMPERIAL EAGLE. Ger. Kaiseradler.
6 ? adult. Claws and feet much smaller than in "chrysaetus," chord hind claw 31. Crown and hind neck paler (almost white in old examples, forecrown generally dark brown) than in Golden Eagle ; some white feathers on scapulars ; tail grey brown with dark bars and tips, central pair more buff ; under parts chocolate brown. Bill bluish black, pale horn at base ; nostrils ear-shaped. Cere, legs and feet yellow. Iris in young slate grey, in adults pale yellow with nut - brown markings.
Wing 570-610, 610-615. Tarsus 90-110. Bill from cere, (H.). Young : mottled all shades of brown, buff or black, crown always ochreous or pale rufous brown.
Ilreeds.—S.E. Europe, Hungary to Balkans, and S. Russia from Novgorod and Orenburg to Caucasus ; also Asia to Punjaub. Migratory only in north of its range ; occurs in Egypt and Arabia in winter ; rare in N. and W. Europe.
A. heliaca adalberti Brehm. 6 ? fully adult. Upper parts chocolate brown with tawny tips, forecrown darker ; lesser wing coverts white, but only occasionally white feathers on scapulars. Young : above mottled brown, sandy, and clay colour, more or less rufous ; paler on crown and hind neck than young "heliaca" ; beneath yellowish to reddish buff.
Resident —C. and S. Spain, also reported from Algeria and Morocco.
Aquila rapax belisarius (Levailiant).
? Light brown, mottled with darker feathers ; primaries black ; tail faintly barred grey ; nostril, long, ear-shaped, vertical. Bill horn blue. Cere, legs and feet yellow. Iris brown. Wing d ? (H.).
Resident —Morocco, N. Algeria, N. Tunis ; has occurred rarely in Spain, Sardinia and Italy.
The typical race "A. rapax rapax" is Central and South African.
Aquila, nipalensis orientalis Cabanis.
d ? adult. Dark brown (occasionally rufous on nape or entire crown) ; tail faintly barred grey ; nostrils long, vertical, ear shaped. An intermediate plumage is lighter brown generally with some white on wing coverts and upper tail coverts. Bill and claws horn black. Cere, angle of mouth, legs and feet yellow. Iris brown. Wing 8 520-57o, ? 580-615 (H.). Tarsus 6 9o. Bill 8 40. Young ; brown, much mixed with rufous on scapulars, secondaries, lesser and median wing coverts, upper tail coverts and underparts including under wing.
Preerls.—Danube Delta, S. Russia north to Kiev and Volga mouth, Caucasus and S.W. Asia ; occurs in winter in E. Africa. The typical race "A. n. nipalensis" is Asiatic.
Aquila clanga Pallas. SPOTTED EAGLE. Fr. Aigle criard ; Ger. Grosser Schreiadler ; ital. Aquila anatraia maggiore.
8 adult. Dark brown, paler on head, with purple gloss on back, upper parts often with much white; nostrils round ; 7th primary not over 6o m.m. shorter than longest and outer web markedly emarginated. Bill horn black, bluish towards cere. Cere, legs and feet yellow. Iris brown. Wing d 490-530, ? 500 (W.). Tarsus 85-100. Bill 43-47. Young : above dark brown, paler and redder on head with dark buff apical drop-like spots on back and large white or buff spots on wings and scapulars ; beneath dark brown with broad central stripes of fulvous. In some the spots are more profuse above, and the underparts unspotted red brown ; in another variation ("A. fulvescens") the upper parts are very white, tinged or mixed with reddish buff and the underparts whitish or deep reddish buff.
Breeds.—From Macedonia and Croatia north through Hungary and Poland to Livonia, Russia to 60° N. and east through Siberia. Rare in Europe to west of breeding range, at least six times in Britain. Partly migratory ; occurs Egypt and S. Asia in winter.
Aquila pomarina pomarina Brehm. LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE. F. Aigle tacheta ; Ger. Kleiner Schreiadlcr ; //a/. Aquila anatraia minore.
? adult. Brown, paler on wings and head and paler altogether than "clanga" ; bill also weaker ; nostrils round ; 7th primary more than 6o m.m. shorter than longest, outer web slightly emarginate. Iris dark yellow with fine brown points. Bill bluish black. Cere, legs and feet yellow. Wing 8 455-49o, ? 460-510. Tarsus 90-100. Bill 8' ? 29-34 (W.). Young : above dark brown, with purple gloss, paler on lesser wing coverts, feathers with small or in some large apical spots of white or buff, the feathers of head with fulvous tips. and on nape often a large fulvous patch ; beneath dark brown with fulvous or buff central streaks.
Breeds.—From Baltic Provinces and N. Germany through Poland and W. Russia, Austria and Hungary to Balkans and Greece ; also in Caucasus and Asia Minor. Migrates ; rarely visits W. Europe ; occurs in winter in S.E. Russia, parts of S.E. Europe, and also B.E. Africa and Soudan.