Endangered — populations have declined sharply due to habitat loss, poisoning, and electrocution.

60–81 cm in length with a wingspan of 165–215 cm; a large, dark brown eagle with broad wings and a powerful build.

Strongly migratory; breeds in open steppe regions of Central Asia and southern Russia.

Winters in South Asia (including India), the Middle East, and eastern & southern Africa.

Mainly April to July in breeding range.

Nests on the ground or low mounds in open steppe; nest made of sticks and lined with grass; clutch usually 1–3 eggs.

Prefers open landscapes—steppes, semi-deserts, grasslands, agricultural plains; during winter also seen in open countryside, dumps, and wetlands.

Feeds on small mammals (especially ground squirrels and rodents), birds, reptiles, and carrion; often scavenges.