“Fine feathers make fine birds. Let not him that fears feathers come among wild-foule.”
For more photographs of the Steppe Eagle, see my Eagles Falconry Photo Gallery.
Why do birds of prey sometimes stand on one foot?
To help regulate body temperature. By tucking the other foot under the feathers and against the body helps to keep it warm.
They may be called 'eagles' but their behaviour is anything but what you would expect from an eagle. They prefer to scavange and just like vultures prefer others to kill the prey. They are a bit specific in that they choose fresh meat only. Steppe eagles are also thieves and will not think twice about stealing prey from any other wild carnivore. The Steppe Eagle will only go hunting itself if it is really neccessary.
As their name says, these eagles have the Mongolian Steppes as their prefered habitat but can also be found in Romania and Southern Russia. Steppe eagles are migratory birds of prey with the European species traveling to Africa in the winter months and Eastern eagles go to India. They prefer large open arid dry terrain. The Steppe eagle builds its nest in a tree and lays one to three eggs. Young eagles are completly brown and only get their contrasting black and white feathers on their wings and tail when they are mature.
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