Tawny Eagle

Aquila rapax(Temminck, 1828)

Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Presence in the Strait: Vagrant
In Spanish: Águila rapaz

Photograph: Alan Manson, CC BY, vía iNaturalist

Length: 65–75 cm
Wingspan: 182 cm
Weight: 1,696 g

Presence in the Strait

Accidental. One bird on 23.05.88 at Gibraltar.

Identification

Slightly smaller, paler and more compact than the Spanish Imperial Eagle, juveniles of each are easily confused. Adults have an all dark tail and lack the white shoulder-patches. Breed in Morocco.

Bioestrecho editorial text. Last revised: 8 September 2026.

Photographs from iNaturalist observations with the licence checked file by file. Those marked “Strait” were taken within the area; place and date are those of each observation.

Calendar in the Strait

No observations with a compatible licence in the area, or taxon without a match in GBIF.

Same genus in the Strait

Bonelli´s Eagle70–74 cm · Resident · overlapping size
Spanish Imperial Eagle75–84 cm · Resident · overlapping size
Greater Spotted Eagle62–74 cm · Occasional · overlapping size
Lesser Spotted Eagle65–77 cm · Vagrant · overlapping size
Booted Eagle45–50 cm · Seasonal

Species of the same genus that also occur here, ordered by how close they are in size. Being relatives does not mean they are confused in the field, but that is where the doubts start: compare size and season.

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
GBIF taxon key: 2480514

Sources

Distribution and calendar: GBIF, live query
Photograph: Alan Manson, CC BY, vía iNaturalist
Taxonomy: GBIF backbone, pending WoRMS for marine taxa
Editorial text: written by Bioestrecho
Last revised: 8 September 2026

Tawny Eagle

Presence in the Strait

Identification

Gallery