Steppe eagle

Steppe eagle

A giant from the plains of Asia

עיט ערבותAquila nipalensis

The steppe eagle is a large, dark brown eagle that breeds in the open grasslands of central Asia. Each autumn it flies south to Africa and Arabia, and each spring it returns. Tens of thousands pass over Israel, and the best places to see them are the Arava and Eilat. The eagles ride rising warm air and then glide for long distances. The species is endangered worldwide, in part because of habitat loss and power lines, and counts at Eilat help scientists to follow its numbers.

Glossary: Steppe eagle