On the Move with Steppe Eagle 6487

Steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis) © M. McGrady

Below is an animation of the movements of the Steppe eagle (6487) between 5 March 2020 and 28 November 2021.  Double click on it, and it should open in a new window and be easier to see. Details of the movements can be found in our earlier blog here.  An obvious feature is that the eagle wanders extensively on both the wintering and summering grounds.  During summer that means that it was not a breeder, but moved between sources of food (live small mammals). During the winter Steppe eagles scavenge more, so the wandering could have been linked to a scavenging lifestyle of ranging widely to find food… sort of like a vulture.

Dr. Mike McGrady

is an ecologist, specializing in raptors, including eagles. He has worked on a variety of projects over the past 30 years on raptors in Arabia, and has worked on raptors in Central Asia that migrate to Arabia.