Booted Eagle

Booted Eagle
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Hieraaetus pennatus

Malay Name: Helang Junam Kecil

Chinese Name: 靴隼雕

Range: Found from southwest Europe to northwest Africa, Central Asia, Indian subcontinent, Siberia and northwest China with northern populations wintering to southern Africa, Indian subcontinent and mainland Southeast Asia

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 50-57 cm

Identification: This is a small crestless raptor with long square-cut tail and diagnostic pale shoulder spots (headlights) on the upperwing which occurs in two morph phases. Dark morph bird has uniform dark brown head and body, blackish flight feathers and pale brown underwing coverts. Pale morph bird has mostly whitish underparts with fine brownish streaks, blackish flight feathers and whitish underwing converts.

Similar looking species: Black Kite

Habitat: Reclaimed land, open country and wooded areas.

Behaviour/Ecology: Usually solitary, circling and soaring on thermals.

Local Status: Rare migrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2021)

Featured reports: Oct 2022, Nov 2022, Nov 2023, Oct 2024, Nov 2024

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Peak week Nov 05-Nov 11
Early date 18 Oct 2014
Late date 04 Apr 2012
The biggest number of individuals appear to pass through in the second week of Nov. Pale morph birds are less frequently observed than dark morphs in Singapore.
Pale morph Booted Eagle at Punggol Barat. Photo Credit: Alan Ng
Dark morph Booted Eagle at Punggol Barat. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Dark morph Booted Eagle at Tanah Merah. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Pale morph Booted Eagle at Punggol Barat. Photo Credit: Alan Ng
Dark morph Booted Eagle. Photo Credit: Zahidi Hamid
Dark morph Booted Eagle at Tanah Merah. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Pale morph Booted Eagle at Punggol Barat. Photo Credit: Alan Ng

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Booted Eagle)

References:

BirdLife International. (2021). Hieraaetus pennatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22696092A206456835.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Booted Eagle. Retrieved on April 23, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/booted-eagle.

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