Bird Guide

Booted Eagle vs Wahlberg's Eagle

Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)

Booted Eagle

Hieraaetus pennatus

Large824 gForest

The booted eagle is a small eagle with a length of 40 cm (16 in) and a wingspan of 110–132 cm (43–52 in); males weigh about 510–770 g (18–27 oz) and females about 840–1,025 g (29.6–36.2 oz). There are two relatively distinct plumage forms; pale individuals are mainly light grey with a darker head and flight feathers. The other form has mid-brown plumage with dark grey flight feathers. These discrete colour morphs follow a Mendelian inheritance pattern, where the paler allele is dominant.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Booted Eagle
Recorded by Thomas SIGNEAU · Alarm call, flight call · Arrondissement de Vierzon (near Saint-Georges-sur-la-Prée), Cher, Centre-Val de Loire, France · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0
Wahlberg's Eagle (Hieraaetus wahlbergi)

Wahlberg's Eagle

Hieraaetus wahlbergi

Large640 gShrubland

Wahlberg's eagle is a medium-sized raptor, and the sexes are similar. It is about 53–61 cm (21–24 in) in length with a wingspan of 130–146 cm (51–57 in) and a body mass of 437–845 g (15.4–29.8 oz) for males and 670–1,400 g (24–49 oz) for females on average. The head has a small crest, and the legs are yellow. The plumage tone is variable but may be dark brown except for dark-streaked grey undersides to the flight feathers, and a barred grey undertail. Light and dark plumage phases occur.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Booted Eagle and Wahlberg's Eagle.