Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Amboseli • Oct 2009

Bird name: African Fish Eagle
Latin: Haliaeetus vocifer
Other: African Sea Eagle
Family: Accipitridae • Sea Eagles

The African Fish Eagle is found across sub-Saharan, near lakes and rivers. It is a large powerful bird with a two-metre wingspan.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Amboseli • Oct 2009

Bird name: Bateleur
Latin: Terathopius ecaudatus
Other:
Family: Accipitridae • Eagles

The Bateleur is a strongly marked medium-sized eagle, with a very short tail, which makes it easy to identify in flight.More photos...

Here’s another pale phase Booted Eagle seen a few days ago on the coast near Nice. Like the one I saw in January, (below), it seems a little out of range to be a resident, although it was circling and appeared to be hunting.

Typically a few dozen migrate along the coast towards Spain and Africa, so it may have been migrating. In 2004, exceptionally, 500 Booted Eagles were seen travelling up the coast from Spain, through the Pyrenees, along the Côte d’Azur eastwards and then presumably heading down through Italy to Africa.

Since then a few have still been coming this way. Although this is not the “normal” migration direction, this year, which is the first year I have observed migrating birds, quite a few birds appeared to be migrating “the wrong way”, including wood pigeons and birds of prey.

Other observers noticed similar behaviour, though whether the birds in question really were heading down Italy or were just flying back to the mountains for a thermal or another reason before continuing their journey to Spain, we had no way of knowing.

Booted Eagles can be much darker than these two individuals but always have pale patches around the inner primary feathers. Notice 6 “fingers” on wing tip, compared to buzzards 5.


Photos copyright: monacoeye • Vaugrenier - October • Camargue - January • France

Bird name: Booted Eagle
Latin: Aquila pennata
Other: Hieraaetus pennatus • Aigle Botté
Family: Accipitridae • Birds of Prey

I have it on good authority this was a Booted Eagle… Unusual for this area in the winter.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye.com • 2009 • Do not copy

Bird name: Bald Eagle
Latin: Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Other:
Family: Accipitridae • Birds of Prey

The Bald Eagle is the national bird of America. It lives in North America only. As one of 8 “sea eagles” the Bald Eagle forms a species pair with the White Tailed Eagle, which lives in Asia and Europe.More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Danube Delta, Romania • May 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: White Tailed Eagle
Latin: Haliaeetus albicilla
Other: Sea Eagle • Erne • Ern • White-Tailed Sea-Eagle • Pygargue à Queue Blanche • Grand Aigle de Mer • Aigle Barbu
Family: Accipitridae • Birds of Prey

A superb bird, with a massive beak, the White-Tailed Eagle has a two metre wingspan and is the fourth largest eagle in the world. They can live to thirty years old.

The White Tailed Eagle is rare in Europe so the Danube Delta is a good place to see one. As this one approached on Caraorman Island he was mobbed by crows and then disappeared again.More photos...