page_title: Aquilinae
section_title: Life histories and range
hierarchical_section_title: Aquilinae / Life histories and range
caption_attribution_description: English: Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus), picture taken at Serengeti Nationalpark, Tanzania Deutsch: Kampfadler (Polemaetus bellicosus), fotografiert im Serengeti Nationalpark, Tanzania
context_page_description: The Aquilinae are a subfamily of eagles of the family Accipitridae. The general common name used for members of this subfamily is "booted eagle", although this is also the common name of a member of the subfamily. At one point, this subfamily was considered inclusive with the Buteoninae based probably on some shared morphological characteristics. However, research on the DNA of the booted eagles has shown that they are a monophyletic group that probably have had millions of years of separation from other extant forms of accipitrid.
context_section_description: Booted eagles are varying in their habitats and habits, being found on every continent inhabited by accipitrids, which includes Antarctica. They may inhabit all of the world's terrestrial habitats, with the majority of species being largely forest dwelling, but several preferring all kinds of open habitat from steppe to prairie to tundra as well as most rocky or mountainous areas. By far the widest ranging species of booted eagle is the golden eagle, which is distributed in all of North America (where it is the only species of the subfamily) and much of Eurasia including a majority of Europe, often along most mountainous terrains therein but also other land-based habitats with semi-open or hilly hunting grounds accessible. So-called "hawk-eagles" are forest dwelling booted eagle types largely represented by Spizaetus (in the neotropics) and Nisaetus (in Asia). Despite many similar features in the two main hawk-eagle genera, they apparently evolved separately for some time and are not closely related. The peak diversity for Aquilinae are in Africa, where nearly half of extant species are known to dwell at least seasonally, exploiting a diversity of different hunting styles, habitats, nesting habits and general body forms. All booted eagle species are opportunistic predators which prey mostly on small vertebrates, often subsisting on a wide range of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians as they become locally available or abundant (carrion is also rarely ignored). Species favoring more open habitats tend to hunt most often on the wing, using distance or hugging contours of the ground to surprise prey. Forest dwelling species are more likely to be perch-hunters, watching for prey activity from a high tree perch, but every kind of booted eagle can vary their hunting techniques when necessary. In cases where they become specialists, booted eagles tend to be mammal hunters, such as the considerable dependence of Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) on rabbits, of breeding steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis) on sousliks or Verreaux's eagle (Aquila verreauxii) on hyraxes. Exceptions include the Ayres's hawk-eagle (Hieraaetus ayresii) and, to a lesser extent, the rufous-bellied eagle (Lophotriorchis kienerii), both of which are smallish, swift-flying bird-hunting specialists who dive (falcon-like) on woodland birds while the black eagle (Ictinaetus malaiensis) feeds largely on the contents of other birds' nests (the only hawk or owl specialized to do so). Most booted eagle species have relatively large feet and talons and can semi-regularly go after prey as large or larger than themselves, even smaller species can occasionally dispatch prey of up to two to three times their own weight. Rare attacks on large prey, such as ungulates, adult monkeys or medium-sized carnivores or other much larger animals, usually involve the larger species of booted eagle, whereas such attacks are exceptionally rare to non-existent in eagles of other lineages. At least four large booted eagles have been known to dispatch prey weighing 30 kg (66 lb) or more.
  Booted eagles, like almost all raptorial birds, are strongly territorial and tend to maintain expansive home ranges against conspecifics. Given their need for ample hunting ranges, the territory of most booted eagles tend to be extremely large, with several dozen square kilometers being common. Territories are usually maintained with display flights but vocal displays are known in some of the denser forest dwelling varieties. Nests of Aquilinae tend to be typically large as in most eagles, with ample surface space needed, whether located in trees, rocky formations or on the ground. As is typical in many raptorial birds, pair bonds are strong between males and females and in many booted eagle species, they may mate for life. Primarily females incubate the egg and brood the young, while males usually have the responsibility of food capture. Clutch sizes are usually small in booted eagles, rarely more than 3 eggs are laid, and most parents will manage to produce only one to two fledglings dependi
caption: A Martial eagle on its nest in Tanzania.
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