VU
Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: #http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of _the_WP15.xls#.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - A2ace+3ce+4ace

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2021 Vulnerable A2ace+3ce+4ace
2018 Vulnerable A2ace+3ce+4ace
2016 Least Concern
2013 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status nomadic Forest dependency low
Land-mass type Average mass -
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 52,700,000 km2
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size 100000-499999 mature individuals medium suspected 2018
Population trend decreasing - inferred 1980-2030
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 30-49% - - -
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 30-49% - - -
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) 30-49% - - -
Generation length 13.69 years - - -

Population justification:

African Raptor DataBank data suggests that given available habitat, of varying suitability, there could be a population size of 73,860 pairs in Africa. Ferguson-Lees and Christie (2001) estimated a global population of 100,000-999,999 individuals, with the population in South Asia estimated at between 10,000-99,999 individuals. Therefore, the overall population size is placed here in the range 100,000-499,999 mature individuals.

Trend justification: Declines have been reported from northern, western and southern Africa (Global Raptors Information Network 2015). The Red Data Book of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland assessed the rate of decline as >60% over the past 50 years (Taylor 2015), and in Namibia the decline has been estimated at 63% over 30 years (Simmons 2015) (roughly equating to a decline of 74% over 3 generations [41.07 years]). In Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger the population outside protected areas decreased by over 87% between 1969-1973 and 2000-2004 (Thiollay 2006), equating to a decline of c.93% over three generations. In the Masai Mara ecosystem, Kenya, the population decreased by 28% between 1976-1988 and 2003-2005 (Virani et al. 2011), roughly equivalent to 46% over 3 generations. The population is also thought to have plummeted in south Morocco to the extent that it is considered near to extinction there, but a breeding population possibly remains in Algeria (J. R. Garrido in litt. 2018). Such rapid declines are not seen across the entirety of its African range though, with increases seen in Botswana (Garbett et al. 2018, G. Maude in litt. 2018), and this species does remain the most common eagle in Ethiopia (E. Buechley in litt. 2018). The frequency of reports of Tawny Eagle sightings in India on eBird declined by c.75% during 2000-2018, suggesting that the population may also be declining in this part of the range (SoIB 2020). With steep declines recorded in many areas, but possible increases in others, the global population is suspected to be declining at a rate of 30-49% over three generations.


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Algeria extant native yes
Angola extant native yes
Bangladesh extant vagrant yes
Benin extant native yes
Botswana extant native yes
Burkina Faso extant native yes
Burundi extant native yes
Cameroon extant native yes
Central African Republic extant native yes
Chad extant native yes
Congo extant native yes
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the extant native yes
Côte d'Ivoire extant native yes
Djibouti extant native yes
Egypt extant vagrant yes
Eritrea extant native yes
Eswatini extant native yes
Ethiopia extant native yes
Gabon extant native yes
Gambia extant native yes
Ghana extant native yes
Gibraltar (to UK) extant vagrant yes
Guinea extant native yes
Guinea-Bissau extant native yes
India extant native yes
Iran, Islamic Republic of extant native yes
Israel extant vagrant yes
Italy extant vagrant yes
Kenya extant native yes
Lesotho extant vagrant yes
Liberia extant vagrant yes
Malawi extant native yes
Mali extant native yes
Mauritania extant native yes
Morocco extant native yes
Mozambique extant native yes
Myanmar extant vagrant yes
Namibia extant native yes
Nepal extant native yes
Niger extant native yes
Nigeria extant native yes
Oman extant vagrant yes
Pakistan extant native yes
Rwanda extant native yes
Saudi Arabia extant native yes
Senegal extant native yes
Sierra Leone extant vagrant yes
Somalia extant native yes
South Africa extant native yes
South Sudan extant native yes
Sudan extant native yes
Tanzania extant native yes
Thailand extant vagrant yes
Togo extant native yes
Tunisia extant vagrant yes
Uganda extant native yes
Vietnam extant vagrant yes
Yemen extant native yes
Zambia extant native yes
Zimbabwe extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Kenya Kirisia Forest

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial Arable Land suitable resident
Artificial/Terrestrial Pastureland suitable resident
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable resident
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane suitable resident
Grassland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable resident
Grassland Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude suitable resident
Savanna Dry major resident
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Dry major resident
Altitude 0 - 3000 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Threats & impact
Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture Livestock farming & ranching - Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation
Biological resource use Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Negligible declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Species mortality
Biological resource use Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Persecution/control Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 6
Stresses
Species mortality
Biological resource use Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Unintentional effects (species is not the target) Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Species mortality
Biological resource use Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest] Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation
Climate change & severe weather Droughts Timing Scope Severity Impact
Future Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 4
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation
Other options Other threat Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Unknown Unknown
Stresses
Species mortality
Residential & commercial development Housing & urban areas Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Unknown Unknown
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Transportation & service corridors Roads & railroads Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Declines Medium Impact: 6
Stresses
Species mortality
Transportation & service corridors Utility & service lines Timing Scope Severity Impact
Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Declines Low Impact: 5
Stresses
Species mortality

Utilisation
Purpose Primary form used Life stage used Source Scale Level Timing
Food - human - - non-trivial recent
Medicine - human & veterinary - - non-trivial recent
Pets/display animals, horticulture - - international non-trivial recent

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Species factsheet: Aquila rapax. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/tawny-eagle-aquila-rapax on 07/12/2023.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2023) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org on 07/12/2023.