Indian Vulture vs Rufous-bellied Eagle

Indian Vulture

Gyps indicus

Huge5.5 kgGrassland

The Indian vulture is bulky and medium in size. Its body and covert feathers are pale brown with darker flight feathers. It has white thighs with scattered white fluff and broad wings with short tail feathers. It has a small, bare, dark-brown head with a long featherless neck, dark eyes and a long yellowish beak with a pale green-yellow cere. It is 89–103 cm (35–41 in) long and has a wing span of 2.22–2.58 m (7 ft 3 in – 8 ft 6 in). The bald heads allow them to maintain body temperature in response to the environment.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Yathin sk at English Wikipedia · CC BY 2.5

Rufous-bellied Eagle

Lophotriorchis kienerii

Large799 gForest

Adult rufous-bellied eagles are distinctive in their pattern. They have a black hood with a short crest. Chestnut underparts and wing coverts contrast with the white on the throat and breast. The sexes are almost indistinguishable in plumage but females are slightly larger and have more black on the face. They perch in a very upright stance and the wingtip almost reaches the tail. The tarsus is fully feathered. Juveniles have very white underparts with dark markings on the sides of the body, head mask and edge of underwing coverts. They can appear similar to a booted eagle (Aquila pennata).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Magalhães · Public domain

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Indian Vulture and Rufous-bellied Eagle.