The Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax) is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae.
It breeds in most of Africa both north and south of the Sahara Desert and across tropical southwestern Asia to India. It is a resident breeder which lays 1–3 eggs in a stick nest in a tree, crag or on the ground.
Throughout its range it favors open dry habitats, such as desert, semi-desert, steppes, or savannah, plains.
This is a large eagle although it is one of the smaller species in the Aquila genus. It has a wingspan of 63–75 in. It has tawny upperparts and blackish flight feathers and tail. The lower back is very pale.
The tawny eagle's diet is largely fresh carrion of all kinds, but it will kill small mammals up to the size of a rabbit, reptiles and birds up to the size of guineafowl. It will also steal food from other raptors.
The call of the tawny eagle is a crow-like barking, but it is rather a silent bird except in display.