Imperial Eagle genus of birds. Cemetery bird: description, habitat, food. Imperial Eagle (eagle) is a large bird of prey. Lifestyle, nutrition

Only nesting All year round Migration routes

Ufa ornithologist Viktor Valuev, based on many years of observations, believes that the eagle was called a burial ground because it buries its dead relatives.

Description

Appearance

Large predatory bird with long wide wings and a fairly long, straight tail. Length 72-84 cm, wingspan 180-215 cm, weight 2.4-4.5 kg. Most often, the imperial eagle is compared to the golden eagle, since both birds are closely related and similar to each other, and their ranges overlap. The Imperial Eagle is slightly smaller, has a shorter and narrower tail (the golden eagle has a wedge-shaped tail, like a fan), and the plumage of most of the body is dark brown, almost black - generally darker than that of the golden eagle. However, if the latter has elongated feathers on the neck are rusty-yellow, then the Imperial Eagle has noticeably lighter feathers - straw-colored. In addition, white spots called “epaulets” can often be developed on the shoulders.

In adult birds of both sexes, the primaries are black above, dark brown below, with a blurred gray striped pattern at the bases of the inner webs. The secondaries are dark brown above, grayish-brown to black-brown below, also with faint striping. The wing coverts below, against the background of the flight feathers, look much darker, brownish-black. The tail has a marbled pattern combining black and gray tones. Cemeteries acquire their final adult attire only at the age of 6-7 years. One-year-old birds are very light - for the most part light ocher with dark longitudinal strokes and dark brown flight feathers. In subsequent years, the plumage darkens more and more until the ocher tones disappear completely. Spanish Imperial Eagle, depending on the classification as species or subspecies, is distinguished by more rufous and unstriated plumage in young and sub-adult birds, and a white border along leading edge wings in adults.

Spreading

Nesting range

A rare, small bird. Breeds in desert, steppe, forest-steppe and along the southern edge of the forest zone of Eurasia from Austria, Slovakia and Serbia east to the Barguzin Valley, the middle part of the Vitim Plateau and the valley of the lower Onon. General population In Europe there are no more than 950 pairs, and more than half of them, from 430 to 680 pairs (data from 2001), nest in the southwest of Russia. More than ten pairs have been recorded in Bulgaria, Hungary, Georgia, Macedonia, Slovakia and Ukraine; only a few nest in a number of Central and Eastern European countries. In Asia outside Russia it breeds in Asia Minor and Central Asia, Transcaucasia, Kazakhstan, Iran, possibly Afghanistan, northwestern India and northern Mongolia.

In the European part of Russia it breeds south of the valleys of the rivers Voronezh (Lipetsk region), Tsna (Tambov region), Pyana (Nizhny Novgorod region), the lower reaches of the Sura (Chuvashia), the Kazan region, the southern tip of the Perm region and the south of the Sverdlovsk region. To the east, the northern border of the range runs along northern Kazakhstan, again returning to Russia in the south Central Siberia, where it inhabits the steppe and forest-steppe regions of the Krasnoyarsk Territory east to the northern spurs of the Sayan Mountains south of the regions of Achinsk and Krasnoyarsk. The most eastern, isolated nesting areas are noted in the Baikal region (Ust-Ordynsky Buryat District and adjacent territories of the Irkutsk region and Buryatia) and Transbaikalia (Dauria).

Migrations

Depending on the habitat, it is a migratory or partially migratory species. Adult birds from Central Europe, the Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor and the Caucasus lead sedentary image life, while the young migrate south. In more eastern populations, some birds also remain within the breeding range, but are concentrated in its southern part. The rest are moving significantly further south - to Turkey, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, Laos and Vietnam. In Africa, some individuals reach Kenya. Young birds are the first to leave the nesting grounds back in August and, as a rule, winter in lower latitudes. The bulk flies south from mid-September to the end of October and returns in the first half of April.

Habitat

Originally a bird of exclusively lowland landscapes, in many areas, as a result of persecution and land cultivation, it was forced into the mountains - places more typical for the larger golden eagle. The main nesting habitats are steppes, forest-steppes, semi-deserts, but not completely open, like the steppe eagle, but with isolated tall trees or islands of forest. In Central and Eastern Europe it nests in mountain forests near open spaces at an altitude of up to 1000 m above sea level, as well as in steppe and agricultural areas with the presence of tall trees or power line supports. In the Dnieper and Don basins it inhabits forest edges, old clearings, and burnt areas. In the Ciscaucasia and Volga region it settles in steppe and semi-desert landscapes, as well as in forests, where it prefers places with low relief - river valleys, gullies, and hollows. More eastern populations choose traditional forest-steppe, steppe and semi-desert landscapes with woody vegetation, sometimes used in agriculture. During wintering it chooses similar biotopes, but more closely related to water bodies.

Reproduction

Imperial Eagles acquire their final adult feather plumage only in the fifth or sixth year of life, and then in most cases they begin to reproduce. These eagles always, even in wintering grounds, keep in pairs, which remain throughout their lives. Mating mating of males begins in the south of Europe in March, in the territory of the former USSR at the end of March - April. During this period, the birds behave very noisily, flying around the territory in soaring flight and emitting loud cries. Often males, and sometimes females, make undulating, so-called “garland” turns, when the soaring suddenly gives way to an almost vertical dive with half-folded wings and then the same vertical takeoff to the same height. The alternation of falls and rises can be repeated many times, creating a feeling of riding a roller coaster, while the males emit loud guttural calls. Occasionally, females accompany males in this “performance,” but they do so silently and less energetically.

Clutch once a year, consists of 1-3 (most often 2) eggs laid at intervals of 2-3 days. Depending on the habitat, this occurs from the end of March to the end of April or even the beginning of May. The eggshell is matte, coarse-grained; Several gray, purple or dark brown specks are visible on a whitish background. Egg dimensions (63-83) x (53-63) mm. If the initial clutch is lost, the female may lay again, but on a new nest. Incubation begins with the first egg and lasts about 43 days. Both members of the pair incubate, although the female spends most of the time in the nest. The chicks, covered with white down, appear asynchronously in the same order as the eggs were laid. The female spends the first week in the nest, warming the brood, while the male hunts and brings back prey. Sometimes the younger chick dies, unable to withstand competition with an older and larger brother or sister, but not as often as in the golden eagle or greater spotted eagle. At about the age of two weeks, the chicks begin to show the first signs of plumage; after 35-40 days, only the head and neck remain unfeathered, and after 65-77 days, the chicks rise to the wing. Having left the nest, the chicks return to it for some time, after which they finally disperse and fly off for their first wintering.

Nutrition

It hunts mainly small and medium-sized mammals - ground squirrels, field mice, hamsters, water voles, young hares and marmots, as well as grouse and corvids. Carrion plays a significant role in the diet, especially in early spring, when rodents are still hibernating and birds have not returned from wintering grounds. During this period, eagles specifically fly around places where animals that have died during the winter may be located. The carcass of a sheep, ungulate, or even a dog can provide birds with food for several days. In rare cases, it eats frogs and turtles.

Prey, as a rule, is found from the surface of the ground, and in the case of birds, sometimes on takeoff. In search of food, it soars high in the sky for a long time or sits on guard, sitting on a hill.

Status and limiting factors

In the International Red Book, the Imperial Eagle has the status of a vulnerable species (category VU) with a possible continuing decline in numbers. The main causes of degradation are the loss of places suitable for nesting due to human economic activities, mass extermination, death on power line supports, destruction of nests. In addition, the main food supply of eagles - gophers and marmots - have disappeared in a number of regions, which also affected the decrease in the number of these birds. The eagle is protected by the Red Books of Russia (category 2), Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. It is listed in Annex 1 of CITES, Annex 2 of the Bonn Convention, Annex 2 of the Berne Convention, as well as annexes of bilateral agreements concluded by Russia with India and the DPRK on the protection of migratory birds. Since 1990, a nursery for breeding this eagle has been created in the Galichya Gora Nature Reserve.

Notes

1. Boehme R. L., Flint V. E. Five-language dictionary of animal names. Birds. Latin, Russian, English, German, French / Under general. ed. acad. V. E. Sokolova. - M.: Rus. lang., "RUSSO", 1994. - P. 40. - 2030 copies. - ISBN 5-200-00643-0.
2. Koblik E.A., Redkin Ya.A., Arkhipov V.Yu. List of birds Russian Federation. - M.: Partnership of Scientific Publications KMK, 2006. - P. 101. - 256 p. - ISBN 5-87317-263-3.
3. Aquila heliaca Savigny, 1809 - burial ground (undefined) . Vertebrates of Russia. . Retrieved December 22, 2009. Archived February 19, 2012.
4. V.V. Ryabtsev. Eagles of Baikal. - Irkutsk: AEM “Taltsy”, 2000.
5. Syutkina Evgenia. Ufa scientist revealed the secret of burial eagles (undefined) . Public Electrogazeta.rf. The public online newspaper of the Republic of Bashkortostan was established by OJSC IA "Bashinform". (29.05.2017 14:30:50). Retrieved August 11, 2017.
6. V.K. Ryabitsev. Birds of the Urals, the Urals and Western Siberia: Guide-determinant. - Ekaterinburg: Ural University Publishing House, 2001. - P. 125-126.

How nice it is to be a solar or imperial eagle, but having chosen a place on boulders near adobe mausoleums, the bird of prey doomed itself to the silent name of burial eagle.

Such a different, but always important burial eagle

The Imperial Eagle is a rather large and noisy bird, from the hawk family, distinguished by a loud guttural voice.

Listen to the voice of the Imperial Eagle

She is especially talkative during the mating season, expressing admiration for her partner with her intonations; for example, males lure females on a date with their signature “kra-krav”, which is impossible not to hear, even from a very long distance.

A strong body, dark blue clawed paws, and a powerful beak indicate its relationship with the golden eagle. And the plumage main feature age. Young birds have a brownish coloration, interspersed with white, but the older the imperial bird, the darker its plumage, in mature individuals distinctive feature there are white spots on the shoulders, from a distance reminiscent of peculiar shoulder straps. The final color of the plumage is acquired by the 5-6th year of life, it is during this period that the Imperial Eagle reaches puberty and is ready for mating and reproduction.

The weight of an adult Imperial Eagle varies from 2.5 to 4.5 kilograms, in particularly large individuals it is up to 85 cm in length, the wingspan can reach up to 215 cm. The Imperial Eagle is quite rare bird, and relatively few in number. Prefers to nest in desert, forest, steppe zones. Inhabits almost all European part, also lives in Asia, Hungary, Georgia and even Macedonia. It is found throughout almost the entire territory of the Don and Dnieper basins.

Families First

Imperial Eagle family, paired bird. Having found your other half in one of mating season, remains faithful for many years. In pairs they build nests, in pairs they raise chicks, and also fly away together during the migration period. Even the chicks are hatched in pairs for 40 days. They build round, spacious nests in the crown of trees at a height of up to 15 meters. Egg laying occurs once a year, until the beginning of May. The female does not lay more than three eggs, and only if the clutch is lost, the couple can produce new offspring, but only after they have built a new nest.

The Imperial Eagle female is a good mother; she spends the entire first week with the hatched chicks, warming and protecting the offspring, all this time the responsibility for food falls on the father. If three chicks hatch in a nest, there is a high probability that one of them will die, since the youngest is not always able to compete for food with stronger chicks. But such cases are still rare.

The childhood of the Imperial Eagle is very fleeting; already at the age of 70 days, they take wing and leave the nest, setting off for their adult life.

Menu of the formidable gravedigger

Despite its unattractive name, the diet of the burial ground consists of ground squirrels, field squirrels, and hamsters. And only at the beginning of early spring or late autumn, when small rodents hibernate and hide in burrows, these birds can eat carrion.

Young birds of this species migrate south, but older married couples lead a sedentary lifestyle. Occasionally, the Imperial Eagle can build its nests on the ground, still giving preference to all kinds of hills. Favorite local settlement deciduous trees with a dense crown. The families of the burial ground live in the dense crowns of trees, and their offspring grow up there. They return there after hunting to spend the night.

He has weak paws and claws. This is a migratory bird. The Imperial Eagle inhabits forest-steppes, steppes, and sometimes even settles in semi-deserts.

Squad - Predator birds

Family - Accipitridae

Genus/Species - Aquila heliaca

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Length: 80-85 cm, the female is slightly larger than the male.

Wingspan: 190-210 cm.

Weight: 2.5-4 kg.

REPRODUCTION

Puberty: from 4-5 years old.

Nesting period: March-May.

Carrying: for 1 year.

Number of eggs: 2-3.

Incubation: 43 days.

Feeding chicks: 65-77 days.

LIFESTYLE

Habits: Imperial Eagles (pictured) are monogamous birds, keep in pairs, and hunt during the day.

Food: small mammals and birds, carrion.

Lifespan: 15-20 years.

RELATED SPECIES

The genus includes the golden eagle, the greater spotted eagle and the steppe eagle.

The Imperial Eagle is protected in all parts of its range, but despite this, the population continues to decline. The smallest number of birds is found in Europe. People less and less often have the opportunity to watch the mating dance of this majestic and beautiful eagle.

REPRODUCTION

Imperial eagles are monogamous birds that spend their entire lives with one partner. Every year they return to the same nest. Arriving from warm countries, burial grounds perform mating dances- the birds hover over the nest, and then throw themselves down like a stone, sometimes clinging to each other with their paws and tumbling in the air. A pair of Imperial Eagles work together to build a nest of branches on a tall, single tree. The female lays 2-3 eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs alternately. The chick that hatched first is superior in size and strength to the others. The firstborn eats most of the food, and sometimes even kills its own younger brothers. However, burial grounds often manage to raise two chicks. Late maturation and low fertility of the species are the main reason why bird populations in many places remain critically low. In addition, the use of artificial fertilizers in agriculture negatively affects the number of eagles.

FLIGHTS

With the onset of winter, most imperial eagles fly from Europe to Asia or North Africa, to the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East to Iran.

Having risen enough greater height, it smoothly descends until the next air flow, which lifts the bird up again. Imperial Eagles do not risk flying over large expanses of water, since there are no warm air currents in these places and the birds have to expend a lot of effort.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

The Imperial Eagle inhabits steppes, forest-steppes, semi-deserts, open plains and in some places even deserts. This bird is also found in the lower mountain belt. Most often, the Imperial Eagle settles in damp, grassy areas with rare trees and areas of woody vegetation. Pairs nest at a great distance from each other, their territories are separated by a neutral zone. Hunting grounds The burial ground covers an area of ​​about 50 km 2 .

In the 20s of the 20th century, burial eagles in large quantities inhabited the Danube Delta in Romania, where there was one eagle's nest for every 3 kilometers of the river. Many birds go out every day in search of food quite far from the nest, so the territory of such pairs can be very large.

Over the past fifty years, populations of animals hunted by these birds of prey have declined significantly in Europe. Intensive development Agriculture turned the steppes into huge fields where small rodents no longer reproduce so actively.

In the steppes Central Asia To this problem another one was added - the lack of trees suitable for nesting that could support eagle housing. Nowadays, the Imperial Eagle is becoming increasingly rare.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

Like other eagles, the Imperial Eagle feeds mainly on live prey, but does not disdain carrion, which at a certain period can become its main food - this happens harsh winters when live prey is difficult to find.

The burial eagle looks out for its prey, sitting on a high tree, and when it spots it, it pounces on top of it. After a short pursuit, the eagle usually overtakes the victim and digs into it with its strong and razor-sharp talons. In most of its range, the main diet of the Imperial Eagle consists of hares, hamsters, ground squirrels, and other small rodents. This bird of prey is capable of catching large prey weighing up to 5 kg. It also preys on birds such as young ducks, geese, crows and even flamingos.

The Spanish subspecies, found in the mountains of central and southern Spain, feeds mainly on rabbits. Imperial Eagles not only live, but often hunt in pairs: one bird flushes the game and drives it towards the other, which stands ready. After the pair manages to catch the prey, they eat it together.

• Pairs of Imperial Eagles annually repair their nests by adding new branches to them. The weight of the nest is constantly growing, and the branch on which it is attached does not always withstand this load, so it can break.
• In some European countries, despite official prohibitions, people still fight foxes using strychnine baits, which kill many species of animals, including burial grounds.
• Several generations of imperial eagles can use one nest for several decades and even centuries.
• Despite its rather large size, the Imperial Eagle also hunts small animals, such as frogs, lizards and insects.

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF THE BURIAL EAGLE. DESCRIPTION

Flight: Usually the imperial eagle soars slowly in the sky, catching up with its prey, falling from above with folded wings.

Eggs: the female lays 2-3 white eggs with brown spots, which both birds incubate for 6 weeks.

Beak: strong, hooked - bent down, used for tearing prey.

Plumage: brown, almost black, with white spots on 1 head, tail, neck and wings. Birds of both sexes are identical in appearance. Young birds have light brown plumage. Up to 5 years it darkens.

- Habitat of the Imperial Eagle

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

The Imperial Eagle lives in Southern Europe, North-West Africa and Asia. The Spanish subspecies is distributed over a limited area in the mountains of Central and Southern Spain.

PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

The Imperial Eagle is listed in the Red Book; the state of its populations makes a depressing impression.

Eagle burial ground (1). Video (00:01:16)

The Imperial Eagle was found in the grass with a wounded wing, in a weakened condition in October 2010.
I took him to the veterinary clinic because the wing muscles were eaten away by worms, the wing doctors veterinary clinic amputated. The wing hangs on the wall of the house). Currently in perfect health, she eats only meat. The only thing is that he can’t fly, which is of course a big tragedy for him.
He has been living with us for three years.
The eagle's gender and age are unknown...

Features and habitat of the Imperial Eagle bird

It’s simply amazing why such a proud, beautiful woman wears such an unpleasant prefix “burial ground”. Previously, it was believed that this one feeds exclusively on carrion, which is why they began to call it that.

Moreover, due to the fact that the bird often prefers to inspect the surroundings on the mounds, they even came up with the clarification “ burial mound" However, it has long been clear that the eagle’s main diet is fresh game. But, since they cannot protest their name, no one began to rename it that way.

Eagle burial ground – large predator among the birds. Its body length is 83-85 cm, its wingspan reaches 2 m, and the eagle weighs about 4.5 kg. Interestingly, females are significantly larger than males.

The color of its plumage is very similar to the Imperial Eagle, only much darker. And it is also smaller in size than the golden eagle. These two birds can also be distinguished by the feathers on their head and neck; in the Imperial Eagle they are almost straw-colored, while in the Golden Eagle they are darker.

Well, golden eagles do not have “epaulettes” - white spots on their shoulders. But these differences can be noticed only in adult birds that are older than 5 years; until this time, young birds do not have their “final” coloration.

This one is quite noisy. Every event, even a very minor one, is accompanied by “comments”. Be it the approach of an opponent, the appearance of some animal or person, everything bird burial ground reacts with loud, croaking sounds.

And it’s very rare that a screamer stops talking while searching for and attracting a girlfriend. Voice burial ground loud, it can be heard a kilometer away. The calls are varied, sometimes similar to the caw of a crow, sometimes reminiscent of a dog barking, and sometimes it turns out to be a long, low whistle. The rest of the eagles are not so “talkative”.

Prefers steppe, forest-steppe and desert areas, has taken a fancy to southern forests Eurasia, Austria and Serbia. It feels very comfortable in Russia, in the southwest, and can be found in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and India.

Despite such a wide distribution, the number of this eagle is very small. Scientists ornithologists know the exact number of pairs and where they are located. It is clear that with such a number burial ground listed in Red Book.

The character and lifestyle of the burial ground

The main activity occurs during the day. As soon as the sun rises and the rays awaken nature from its night sleep, the eagle is already soaring above the earth. He is looking for prey. It is in the morning and during the day that his vision allows him to see even the smallest great height. And at night the bird prefers to rest.

Eagles do not stay in flocks; they can independently withstand any trouble in the form of enemies. And they have no obvious enemies, except humans. Even despite the ban on catching this bird, people catch imperial birds for sale.

The rarer it is, the more expensive it is. In addition, expanding cities leave less and less space for birds to nest, and the lines along which electricity runs mercilessly destroy these birds.

This bird is proud, it won’t make a fuss in vain. Even those who encroach on his territory, burial ground first he warns with a cry, and after the unscrupulous invader continues his business, ignoring the warning, the bird attacks. Few survive such an attack.

However, this eagle does not fight with its neighbors and does not violate the boundaries of its territory. Yes, this is not difficult - there are very few burial birds, so their concentration in one place is very small, and the territories owned by one have huge areas where there is enough food.

Feeding the burial ground

The main menu of birds consists of rodents and small mammals. This includes and , and , and , and , and . The eagle does not disdain birds. He especially prefers corvids. It is interesting that the burial ground only grabs birds when they take off, but the eagle does not touch flying birds.

It happens that the bird has to feed on carrion. This happens most often in the spring. At this time, not all rodents have yet woken up and run out of their burrows, so the burial grounds, which have just arrived from wintering and are preparing for the appearance of offspring, no longer have a choice.

One bird needs 600 g of food. better times, an eagle can eat more than a kilogram, it will not die if it eats 200 g of food. But in the spring, strength is especially needed, so the carcasses of dead domestic animals and the corpses of animals that did not survive the winter are used.

Reproduction and lifespan of the Imperial Eagle

Married couples are permanent. Often, even during wintering, two birds stay together. Therefore, when they arrive from the winter, mating games, mainly, are arranged by young eagles who have not had time to create a “matrimonial” tandem for themselves.

Eagles can begin to build their family and breed offspring only when their age has passed the 5-6 year mark. And then, in March or April, males and females become very restless.

They soar in the sky and show everything they can - perform incredible pirouettes, attracting attention to their person. All this skill is accompanied by loud, incessant screams. This behavior is very difficult not to notice, so new pairs are created quite quickly.

Old couples fly to the places where they nested in previous years and immediately begin to improve their home, as a result of which the nest grows every year.

The photo shows a nest of an imperial eagle with a chick

Eagles that have not previously had a joint nest begin construction by choosing a location. For this purpose, select tall tree, and at a distance of 15-25 m from the ground, in the very thick of the crown, it is built new house. Suitable for construction and rocks.

The nest is made from twigs, bark, dry grass and various debris that are suitable as building material. The diameter of the newly built nest reaches 150 cm, and the height reaches 70 cm.

It happens that in such a “monumental” structure, more unscrupulous birds find refuge for themselves - or, which settle at the base of the eagle’s house. After construction, the female lays 1-3 eggs and incubates them for 43 days. The male eagle helps to hatch the offspring, but the female sits more often.

The chicks appear without feathers, however, covered with white down. The eagle does not leave her babies all week; she feeds them and warms them with her body. At this time, the head of the family takes care of food for the mother and children.

It happens that if there are not 2 chicks, as usual, but 3, the weakest chick dies, but the mortality rate of imperial eagle chicks is much less than that of golden eagles and, most often, the chicks grow safely to adulthood.

After 2–25 months, the chicks are completely covered with feathers and stand on their wings. However, they still stay close to their parents. And they reach sexual maturity after 5-6 years.

The life expectancy of free eagles from eagles living in artificially created conditions is enormous. IN wildlife it is 15-20 years, and in conditions created by man, it reaches 55 years.

Security of the burial ground

Number birds burial ground frighteningly small. It has long been listed in Krasnaya, however, this does not ensure complete preservation of the species. Poaching, new construction, deforestation - all this is destroying the species.

To protect the eagle, nature reserves are created, the birds are bred in zoos, and conditions are created for them in specially protected areas. There is hope that these eagles will not disappear, but will soar in the sky in complete safety.