Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malaiensis)
Black Eagle

Black Eagle

Ictinaetus malaiensis

The Black Eagle, known scientifically as Ictinaetus malaiensis, is a majestic bird of prey belonging to the family Accipitridae. It is the sole representative of the genus Ictinaetus. This large yet slender eagle, with a length of about 75 cm and a wingspan ranging from 148 to 182 cm, is a sight to behold as it soars over the forests of tropical and subtropical South and Southeast Asia, and south-eastern China. Its plumage is predominantly black, with a striking yellow bill base and feet, which stand out against its dark feathers.

Identification Tips

When observing the Black Eagle, one can note its long wings that pinch at the innermost primaries, giving it a distinctive shape. The tail is faintly barred, and the upper tail covers are paler. At rest, the wing tips reach or even exceed the tail tip. In flight, the wings are held in a shallow V, just above the horizontal plane. The sexes appear similar, but juveniles can be distinguished by their buff head, underparts, and underwing coverts. The tarsi are fully feathered, and the toes are stout and short with long claws, less strongly curved than those of other raptors.

Habitat

This eagle favours forests with dense canopy cover and is typically found in regions where the forest cover exceeds 50%.

Distribution

The Black Eagle is a resident species throughout its range, which includes the Himalayan foothills, the Indian subcontinent, and parts of Southeast Asia. It is divided into two subspecies: I. m. perniger in the northern and southern parts of India and Sri Lanka, and the nominate I. m. malaiensis in Myanmar, southern China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia.

Behaviour

The Black Eagle is known for its slow and characteristic flight, often seen scouring the treetops for nests to raid. It is a solitary bird, with a remarkable ability to remain aloft for extended periods with minimal effort.

Breeding

During courtship, these eagles perform steep dives with folded wings, swooping up in a U shape into a vertical stall. They construct platform nests on tall trees overlooking steep valleys, where they lay one or two white, brown, and mauve-blotched eggs between January and April. The nest sites may be reused annually.

Similar Species

The Black Eagle can be confused with the dark form of the Changeable Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus), but its wing shape is a reliable distinguishing feature.

Diet and Feeding

A proficient nest-predator, the Black Eagle feeds on mammals such as bats and squirrels, birds, and eggs. It has a unique habit of carrying away entire nests with nestlings to a feeding perch. Its curved claws and wide gape are adapted for picking up eggs and chicks from nests.

Conservation status

The Black Eagle is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, it is uncommon in large parts of its distribution, and the shrinking of forested areas has reduced its range.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Black Eagles on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Kites, Hawks, Eagles

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Robred 2
Fun way to add to your birdwatching experience
I enjoy watching birds in my backyard, but this app helped me really pay attention while on vacation this summer. It was fun to add new birds to my bird watching app.
Sacha0508
Simply fantastic
I love this app, it puts so much fun into recording the birds Iโ€™ve seen and heard while Iโ€™m out and about. The interface is user-friendly and suitable for all ages. Itโ€™s great to collect badges and to review my โ€œlistsโ€.
JCBirding
Just what birding needs
We need more fun in birding, for years it has had a reputation for being up tight and stuffy and only perused by retirees and anoraks. Birda helps change that perception and firmly brings birding into the 21st century! Fun, interactive while still contributing to science and conservation. If you arenโ€™t on it, why not??
Emma L
App got me interested in birding!
Super friendly community <3 This app got me interested in birding! It teaches me cool stuff and its super friendly, and fun :) The species guide is really developing my knowledge, and i love seeing cool new birds from round the world!
Nicole
Gets me outdoors more
I'm still loving this app. I use it most days & gets me outdoors more. Enjoying watching others progress and photo's, it's improved my wellbeing.... I love this app! I can keep a record of sightings and see what others have seen too.
Viperray5
Loving it
I really enjoy being able to interact with other birders on this platform! This seems like a great way to meet other birders and find some new spots.
Marlster24
Very Wholesome App
Joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so itโ€™s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter ๐Ÿ˜„
Bryan C
Clean and easy to use
Really enjoying this app, it's clean and easy to use. I love the ease of being able to add those one-off birds without starting a whole checklist. I also like the social aspect, like the parts of my Facebook I like, without the ads and junk, just birds. Can't wait to see it become more populated.
Dan R
Great app for bird fanatics
Great app for bird fanatics - very user friendly and a perfect place to share sightings.
Dunners12345
Great App
Great app to use for logging and communicating with others who are interested in birds
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright ยฉ 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.