Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae (Accipítrids)
- GenusAquila (True Eagles)
- SpeciesAquila rapax (Tawny Eagle)
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 →
50–60% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny Eagle sighting in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, based on 148 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
African Hawk-Eagle
Aquila spilogaster
Verreaux's Eagle
Aquila verreauxii
Pale Chanting Goshawk
Melierax canorus
White-backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
Martial Eagle
Polemaetus bellicosus
Gabar Goshawk
Micronisus gabar
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
Black-breasted Snake Eagle
Circaetus pectoralis
Lappet-faced Vulture
Torgos tracheliotos
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Black-winged Kite
Elanus caeruleus
Brown Snake Eagle
Circaetus cinereus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Tawny Eagle in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park?
About 58% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny Eagle sighting in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, based on 148 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Tawny Eagle in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Tawny Eagle in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in our monthly data.