Appearance:

Medium sized, brown raptor with shallowly forked tail. Juveniles with mottled appearance, due to buffed tips of wing coverts. Easily mistaken for Red Kite, but tail is not that deeply forked, upper side of tail is dark brown and head not so pale (plumage colours overall more uniform). Base of primaries paler than the rest of the underwing (especially in Middle-East birds), but with much less contrast to the black wing tips than in Red Kite. Differs from dark morphed Booted Eagle by the forked tail. Wings held horizontally (separates it from harriers). Typically twists it's tail frequently to maintain position in the air (like Red Kite).

Sound:

A piercing, first ascending then descending long "piuuu". Starting as a clear tone then gradually taking on a vibrating character that differs from Red Kite. Also a sharp "kieee -ki- ki-ki". More vocal than Red Kite.

Call:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Patrik Åberg, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Small eagle with evenly broad wings and relatively short tail. Easily confused with Greater Spotted Eagle (C. clanga). Flight-feathers darker than the pale brown coverts, both on upper- and underwing. Head and body distinctly paler than flight feathers. Conspicuous pale patch at base of inner primaries on upperwing (diffuse only in C. clanga). Double "commas" on underwing, formed by pale base of primaries and primary-coverts (one "comma" in C. clanga). Wings more narrow than C. clanga, which makes the tail look slightly longer. U-shaped white patch at base of tail. Immature birds with white tipped greater and median coverts, forming two narrow wing-bands. Wings "fingered", but 7th finger shorter than in C. clanga (but varies with age). Sours and glides with wings held horizontally, but with characteristic drooping hand (similar to C. clanga).

Sound:

Vocal at breeding ground, and when courting. Short, barking, high-pitched whistles, not unlike a small dog. Slightly higher pitched than C. clanga and with a purer tone, but very similar.

Call:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Livon, Licence,Link.