Steppe Eagle!

[Praveen Siddannavar]

Shot this Steppe Eagle near Hasserghatta on saturday...

Camera Model Canon EOS 40D
Shooting Date/Time 12/12/2009 12:16:28 PM
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/640
Av( Aperture Value ) 8.0
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 400
Lens EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
Focal Length 400.0 mm


Info on Steppe Eagle :

The Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis) is a large bird of prey. It is about 62-74 cm in length and has a wingspan of 165-190cm. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. It was once considered to be closely related to the non-migratory Tawny Eagle, Aquila rapax, and the two forms have previously been treated as conspecific,however it has been confirmed that these birds are not even each other's closest relatives.

The Steppe Eagle breeds from Romania east through the south Russian and Central Asian steppes to Mongolia. The European and Central Asian birds winter in Africa, and the eastern birds in India. It lays 1-3 eggs in a stick nest in a tree.

Throughout its range it favours open dry habitats, such as desert, semi-desert, steppes, or savannah.
This is a large eagle with brown upperparts and blackish flight feathers and tail. This species is larger and darker than the Tawny Eagle, and it has a pale throat which is lacking in that species.
Immature birds are less contrasted than adults, but both show a range of variation in plumage colour.