Tawny Eagle
Tawny EagleTawny EagleTawny EagleTawny Eagle

Tawny Eagle

Aquila rapax

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
30–40% · Possible
overall probability at Etosha National Park
543 Verified records at Etosha National Park
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The tawny eagle (Aquila rapax) is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Its heavily feathered legs mark it as a member of the subfamily Aquilinae, also known as booted eagles. Tawny eagles have an extensive but discontinuous breeding range that constitutes much of the African continent as well as the Indian subcontinent, with rare residency in the southern Middle East. Throughout its range, it favours open dry habitats such as semideserts, deserts steppes, or savanna plains. Despite its preference for arid areas, the species seldom occurs in areas where trees are entirely absent. Wikipedia →

30–40% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny Eagle sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 543 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Etosha National Park

African Hawk-Eagle
LC

African Hawk-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aquila spilogaster

5–10% · Rare
Verreaux's Eagle
LC

Verreaux's Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aquila verreauxii

<5% · Rare
Lesser Spotted Eagle

Lesser Spotted Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aquila pomarina

Insufficient data
Pale Chanting Goshawk
LC

Pale Chanting Goshawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melierax canorus

50–60% · Likely
White-backed Vulture
CR

White-backed Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gyps africanus

20–30% · Possible
Bateleur
EN

Bateleur

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Terathopius ecaudatus

20–30% · Possible
Gabar Goshawk
LC

Gabar Goshawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Micronisus gabar

20–30% · With luck
Lappet-faced Vulture
EN

Lappet-faced Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Torgos tracheliotos

10–20% · With luck
Martial Eagle
EN

Martial Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Polemaetus bellicosus

5–10% · With luck
Black-breasted Snake Eagle
LC

Black-breasted Snake Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Circaetus pectoralis

5–10% · With luck
White-headed Vulture
CR

White-headed Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Trigonoceps occipitalis

5–10% · With luck
Cape Griffon
VU

Cape Griffon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gyps coprotheres

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

30–40
Jan
20–30
Feb
30–40
Mar
30–40
Apr
30–40
May
20–30
Jun
40–50
Jul
40–50
Aug
40–50
Sep
30–40
Oct
20–30
Nov
30–40
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
50–60%
2 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
50–60%
3 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
50–60%
4 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
50–60%
5 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
30–40%
6 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
30–40%
7 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
30–40%
8 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
30–40%
9 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
30–40%
10 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
30–40%
11 Bale Mountains National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
30–40%
12 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
30–40%
13 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
30–40%
14 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
20–30%
15 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
16 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
20–30%
17 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
20–30%
18 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
20–30%
19 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
20 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
21 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
22 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
10–20%
23 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
24 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
25 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
26 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
27 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
10–20%
28 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
29 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
10–20%
30 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
5–10%
31 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
5–10%
32 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
33 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
34 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
5–10%
35 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
5–10%
36 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
37 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
38 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
39 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
40 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
41 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
42 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
43 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
44 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
45 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
46 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
47 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
Insufficient data
48 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
Insufficient data
49 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Tawny Eagle in Etosha National Park?

About 37% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny Eagle sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 543 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Tawny Eagle in Etosha National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Tawny Eagle in Etosha National Park in our monthly data.

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