Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Haliaeetus ("Sea Eagle") leucocephalus ("white headed")

Adult Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) at Portage, Alaska, USA - August 2025

Featured Subspecies: Haliaeetus leucocephalus leucocephalus
Weight: 3-6.6kg  /  Length: 70-102cm  /  Wingspan: 1.8-2.3m
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

One of the most recognisable bird species on the planet, in large part due to it being the national bird of the USA and featured prominantly on a lot of it's iconography.  The bird itself however is perhaps less of an apex predator than it's hype would have you believe - a rather opportunistic feeder that will often feed on carrion or even landfill. A conservation success story - by the mid 20th century there were only 412 nesting pair in the Lower 48 as a result of shooting, pesticides such as DDT and other human caused deaths. With conservation measures, there are now believe to be over 71000 nesting pairs in the same area..

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Haliaeetus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CANADA -Present everywhere but the High Tundra
  - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: - Seen in Alberta, British Columbia and Yukon

UNITED STATES - Found throughout most of the Lower 48 and Alaska
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Seen in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and Alaska

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus)

OTHER NAMES: Grey-headed Fishing Eagle, Greater Fishing Eagle
Latin Etymology: Haliaeetus ("sea-eagle") ichthyaetus ("fish eagle")

Adult Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus icthyaetus) at Prek Toal, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 1.6-2.3kg  /  Length: 61-75cm  /  Wingspan: 155-170cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

The Grey-headed Fish Eagle is a widely distributed but somewhat scarce resident of Southern Asia - in most places it hasn't adapted as well to human encroachment as well as it's cousin the white-bellied, but still is fairly widespread.  In Cambodia, we saw several at very close range at Prek Toal within the fish-rich wetlands, but even even bustling Singapore I got a brief view of one hunting at Sungeih Buloh.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Haliaeetus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA -  Khmer: អកត្រីក្បាលប្រផេះ ("Grey ?")

 A scarce, localised resident.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Twos seen at Prek Toal

SINGAPORE - A scarce resident.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: One bird seen fleetingly at Sungei Buloh

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Blyth's Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus alboniger)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Nisaetus ("hawk-eagle") alboniger ("white black")

Adult Blyth's Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus alboniger) at Genting Highlands, Malaysia - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 830g  /  Length: 51-58cm  /  Wingspan: 56-70cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

A distinctive black and white raptor of the lower reaches of mountainous rainforest, this species is in many ways little known due to it's rainforest habitat - it's diet includes lizards and bats, but possibly more, it's population size is unknown but has a large enough range that it is not currently believed to be in danger.  However, it is tolerant of some human activity - as demonstrated by the fact I saw it at Genting.  It is named after the English Zoologist Edward Blyth - a man who was the curator of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal and a correspondent of Darwin who first described this species to Western Science.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Nisaetus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Helang Hindek Gunung ("Hindek Mountain Eagle")

A widespread but local resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: A single bird Genting Highlands

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto     .

White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

OTHER NAMES: White-Bellied Fish Eagle, White-breasted Fish Eagle

Latin Etymology: Haliaeetus ("Sea Eagle") leucogaster ("white abdomen")

Adult White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 4.5kg  /  Length: 75-85cm  /  Wingspan: 2.2m
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The White-Bellied Sea Eagle was actually one of the very first bird species I encountered on the Malaysia/Singapore trip - on the night we arrived I spent about 30 minutes standing in the driveway just to see what would turn up, and a pair of these huge birds circled high overhead.  This is perhaps indicative of something I haven't really encountered in other eagles - the are far happier to live near humans than all the other species.  Unlike the other species I have encountered, I found them right in the middle of Cities - either flying over Central Singapore or a family perched right in the middle of central Malacca. The bird pictured is a juvenile, and so lacks the distinctive mostly white plumage of the adults, which I did see (indeed, on the same perch) but more more distantly at the time.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Haliaeetus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Helang Siput ("Snail Eagle")

A locally common resident on the coast.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: At least three seen in Central Malacca

SINGAPORE - A fairly common resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Two birds seen circling high above Lower Peirce Reservoir.
 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Several seen at Gardens by the Bay

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Spilornis ("spot bird") cheela (?)

Adult Crested Serpent Eagle (subspecies S. c. burmanicus) at Prek Toal, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Spilornis cheela burmanicus
Weight: 420-1800g  /  Length: 50-74cm  /  Wingspan: 123-155cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Crested Serpent Eagle was a bit of a frustrating species for me in that I only ever saw it perched along the side of motorways - not exactly ideal circumstances for viewing or photography!  As the name suggests, they are reptile hunting specialists focusing on snakes and lizards, and thus seem to favour exposed perches from which they can survey for their prey.  Though it is broadly a widespread and common species across Tropical East Asia, certain subspecies - particular island endemic ones - are considered endangered.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Spilornis
Subspecies: S.c. cheela, S. c. melanotis, S. c. spilogaster, S. c. burmanicus, S. c. davisoni, S. c. ricketti, S. c. hoya, S. c. rutherfordi, S. c. palawanensis, S. c. pallidus, S. c. richmondi, S. c. malayensis, S. c. batu, S. c. bido, S. c. minimus, S. c. perplexus, S. c. natunensis, S. c. abbotti, S. c. asturinus, S. c. sipora, S. c. bawaneanus

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer - អកពស់ព្រៃ ("? wild snake")
 A fairly common resident..

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: One seen at Prek Toal,

MALAYSIA - Malay - Helang Kuik 

 A fairly common resident in low densities

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Birds seen from motorways between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Lumpur and Malacca

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aquila adalberti)

OTHER NAMES: Adalbert's Eagle, Spanish Eagle

Latin Etymology: Aquila ("eagle") adalberti (named for Prince Heinrich Wilhelm Adalbert of Prussia)

Adult Spanish Imperial Eagle at Oropesa, Spain - April 2016 

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 2.5-3.5kg  /  Length: 78-82cm  /  Wingspan: 180-210cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Vulnerable 

A large and powerful Eagle species that breeds exclusively in the Iberian peninsula, almost purely in Spain, the Spanish Imperial Eagle is thus one of the most threatened raptor species in Europe.  Until comparatively recently, it was considered to be the same species as the (now renamed Eastern) Imperial Eagle found from Central Europe to Central Asia.  Though you can differentiate the two on location alone, the while marks on the forewing make the Spanish Imperial visually distinctive.  Still at risk from illegal poisoning and collisions with power-lines, the Spanish Imperial Eagle is recovering, and can even be seen comparatively close to some of Spain's biggest cities like Madrid and Seville.

 - Related Species -
ORDER: Accipitriformes  
FAMILY: Accipitridae
GENUS: Aquila
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Águila Imperial - ("Imperial Eagle")
Scarce and Local Resident

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Seen at Oropesa (1 adult, perched), El Pardo (2 juveniles, flying) and Monfrague (1 adult perched, 1 flying)

Further Notes: Arkive, BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Bonelli's Eagle (Aquila fasciata)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Aquila ("eagle") fasciata ("banded")

                                Adult Bonelli's Eagle (subspecies A. f. fasciata) at Monfrague National Park, Spain - April 2016

Featured Subspecies: Aquila fasciata fasciata 

Weight: 1.6-2.4kg  /  Length: 55-65cm  /  Wingspan: 150-180cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Bonelli's Eagle is a medium sized eagle found in the Mediterranean then in a patchy distribution through to the Pacific coast of China.  However, it apparently has a bit of a reputation as a tricky bird to see due to it's habits; it generally is a fairly shy species that nests on cliffs and crags in forests and is usually only seen at great height.  When seen on a trip with Luis Sitges to the Monfrague national park, he strongly impressed on me how rare it was to get a sighting of this species at all, let alone the very close views we were lucky to have.  It is named after the 19th Century Italian ornithologist Franco Andrea Bonelli who first described this species to science.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Aquila
Subspecies: A, f, fasciata, A. f. renschi

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spain - Águila Perdicera - ("Lost-wax Eagle")

Scarce and Local Resident

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Seen at Monfrague (1 adult at great height, 2 adults in flight)

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Hieraaetus ("hawk-eagle") pennatus ("feathered")

 Pale morph adult Booted Eagle (subspecies H. p. pennatus) at Patones, Spain - June 2015

Featured Subspecies: Hieraatus pennatus pennatus*
Weight: 0.5-1kg  /  Length: 46cm  /  Wingspan: 120cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern  

The Booted Eagle is a small, buzzard sized eagle found in a wide range across Southern Europe, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.   It seemed to be the most easily seen of the five Eagle species found in Spain - we saw at least 3 separate individuals, including one "dark phase" individual - that makes up only a small percentage of the birds found in Spain, which are mostly "light phase".  They feed mostly on small mammals, reptiles and birds.  This one here was holding something that looked suspiciously like it could have been a snake.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Hieraaetus (or Aquila)*
Subspecies: H. p. harterti*, H. p. pennatus*, H. p. milvoides*, H. p. minisculus*

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish - Águila calzada ("Road Eagle")

Widespread but scarce resident

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Two in the vicinity of Patones 
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Single individual seen in Monfrague. 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

* There is a bit of uncertainty with several aspects of the Booted Eagles' taxonomy - it is variously considered part of Hieraaetus or Aquila for genus, and considered to have either zero, two or four subspecies.  I can't find much information on which of these is supported by who, if it gets resolved in future I'll amend this page. .

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Aquila ("eagle") chrysaetos ("gold eagle")

Adult Golden Eagle (subspecies A. c. chrysaotus)  near Side, Antalya, Turkey - March 2025

Featured Subspecies: Aquila chrysaetos chryseotus

Weight: 4.2kg  /  Length: 66-102cm  /  Wingspan: 180-234cm

UK AMBER LIST  / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Golden Eagle is a large species and massively widely distributed across the Northern hemisphere and as such culturally fairly ubiquitous as an emblem in Northern Hemisphere cultures, being popular in heraldry, falconry, mythology and ritualism across North America, Europe and Asia.  While not necessarily the largest eagle, as a comparatively versatile species it can be found in a broader range of habitats than specialized larger species, although human encroachment has tended to force it to more remote locations dues to its need for large territories where it can hunt.  I first saw a Golden Eagle when I was young when I went to see the sole remaining bird in England, and while there is a full sustainable population in Scotland (and indeed, Japan), I finally caught up with this species in the hills North of Madrid, where this species is fairly scarce.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Aquila
Subspecies: A. c. chrysaetos, A. c. canadensis, A. c. homeyeri, A. c. kamtschatica, A. c. daphanea, A. c. japonica

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Rare breeding species now limited to Scotland (440 pairs)

 - The single resident bird seen at Haweswater in the late 90s, as of 2016, it is missing and so the species in probably extinct in England.

SPAIN - Spanish - Águila reál ("Royal Eagle")
Rare and local resident.

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: A single individual seen flying over at Patones 

TURKEY  -   Turkish: Kaya kartalı ("Rock eagle")
 - ANTALYA 2025 TRIP - One in mountains near Side

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Steller's Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus)

OTHER NAMES: Steller's Fish Eagle, Pacific Sea Eagle, White-shouldered Eagle

Latin Etymology: Haliaeetus ("sea-eagle") pelagicus ("marine/pelagic")

Adult Steller's Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) from Akan Crane Centre, Hokkaido, Japan - December 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A

Weight: 5-9kg  /  Length: 85-100cm  /  Wingspan: 200-250cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

If, when I had started this blog you had asked me if I could see any bird in the world at all, the Steller's Sea Eagle would have quite possibly been my answer.  It is, in my opinion at least, just about the most spectacular bird on the planet.  It is enormous, with that wingspan that can reach 2.5m wide.  The beak is enormous and bright yellow and there are prominent white panels on the wings make it distinct from it's relations the Bald and White-tailed eagles.  Hokkaido is pretty much the only plausible place to go see them, and in certain locations (unfortunately beyond where we went on this trip) they can be seen in huge numbers at close range in towns where they live off fishing cast offs.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Haliaeetus
Subspecies: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese: オオワシ / O-washi ("Great Eagle")   ///  Ainu:  Kapacchilikamui ("God-spirit of the Eagles")

Locally Common Visitor to Hokkaido, rare vagrant in the rest of Japan

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Two seen distantly from Akan Crane Centre in early December.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)

OTHER NAMES: White-Tailed Sea Eagle, Erne

Latin Etymology: Haliaeetus ("Sea Eagle") albicilla ("white tail")

Adult White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) from Akan Crane Centre, Hokkaido, Japan - December 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A

Weight: 3-7kg  /  Length: 70-90cm  /  Wingspan: 1.78-2.45m

UK RED LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The largest of all raptors found in the UK, I must admit somewhat cheating and finally caught up with this species on the other side of the world in Hokkaido.  This was however, not my first attempt to see this species - several years ago I spend a day walking round a field near Basingstoke of all places looking for a vagrant bird that had been staying there for a while (just my luck, after being there for a while I arrived the day it left).  In Britain this species went extinct early in the 20th Century and was only restored later by a reintroduction program in 1975 on the Isle of Rum in Scotland and has subsequently expanded its range.  Seeing it in Hokkaido as an affix to a trip to Tokyo is actually probably easier and cheaper than seeing them as a trip in the UK - I saw these eagles on over half the days we were in Hokkaido, though unfortunately the closest views of down to 10m were through dusty windows on a moving train in the mist - hardly ideal for photographs!

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Haliaeetus
Subspecies: None - Monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - オジロワシ  /  O-jiro washi  ("White-tailed Eagle")  ///   Ainu - Onneu ("Old and Large One")

Locally fairly common resident to Hokkaido.

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Seen from various locations including Akan Crane Centre, Akkeshi and Kushiro Airport in early December.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto  .