handrew

Taken from the Tower Hide on 28th Dec with my 300mm f2.8 lens + 1.4x TC. I think I have the ID rightbut corrections appreciated if not.

Andrew

kfmak

So, according to the photos taken recently of the Steppe Eagle, was it mistaken as a juvenile imperal eagle in the past?

tmichael

I'm not sure what this bird is - and having just spent an interesting hour or so looking back over old pictures on this forum and in my raptor books I feel totally confused about identification of a many examples of the genus Aquila - and it may possibly be A Steppe Eagle, but surely it isn't THE Steppe Eagle, as even in the earliest pictures, taken on 22/12/08 it has no spotting on the coverts.

Interested to hear what others think.

Mike Turnbull

HFCheung

I think it is far more easier to see the Eagles from the underside.  From what I know, mistakes on id of Steppe versus Imperial or Greater Spotted Eagle based on the underside pattern is highly unlikely.

HF Cheung

tmichael

I fully agree, Ho Fai.

That was one of the conclusions I came to during the hour spent browsing photos on this site and in books.

Mike Turnbull.

handrew

In case anybody misses the fact I took this over 2 years ago and remember it well. It never occurred to me that it might be Steppe Eagle so I would be delightedted if it were!

Andrew

kfmak

Yes, it is easier to distinguish the steppe eagle, imperial eagle and greater spotted eagle from thier underwings, but difficult from their upperwings.  Thus, the photo taken by handrew might be a steppe eagle! Very interesting!

kmatthew

Are Greater Spotted Eagles and Steppe Eagles are more similar structurally?? The shape dose not really strike Imperial to me at first sight. I suppose this could also be a fulvescens Greater Spotted Eagle?? Which all add up to further complicate this matter...

tmichael

I had indeed either missed, or misread, the fact that this bird was photographed in '06 not '08, so my comment about it not being THE Steppe Eagle was superfluous.

It certainly makes interesting viewing if you look back through some of the photos of Aquila eagles on this forum.

Mike Turnbull

cgeoff

This looks more like Imperial to me. The median coverts are heavily spotted, the head seems rather pale and relatively smaller, the bill not as large as Steppe, and lacks a prominent gape, while the inner primaries are notably pale.

Geoff

kmike

The coverts look very spotty to me and I thought it would be difficult to eliminate "fulvescens" Spotted Eagle on this view, although the structure of the head and pale inner primaries look good for Imperial (but the position of the wings looks ideal for maximising the pale inner primaries).

Cheers
Mike K

handrew

This is the same bird taken from the Tower Hide - it is the only other picture of the bird I have. Does this help ID it?

Andrew