The Steppe Eagle is a master of two lives, but its future is fading.

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: With a wingspan of 2.6 metres, this raptor dominates the Eurasian grasslands in summer before embarking on a 10,000km journey to African savannahs or urban landfills. Once the planet's most abundant large eagle, it now faces a precarious decline, struggling against electrocution, habitat loss, and poisoning across its vast migratory range.

The Steppe Eagle is a bird of stark contrasts. During the summer, it acts as a fierce predator across the open plains of Kazakhstan, where it is unique among eagles for nesting directly on the ground or rocky outcrops. In this harsh environment, where temperatures swing between 40°C and -40°C, it hunts ground squirrels and marmots. When prey is scarce, it shifts to scavenging, often feeding on the carcasses of Saiga Antelope.

As autumn approaches, the eagle abandons its breeding grounds for a massive migration spanning over 10,000km. In its wintering territories—ranging from African savannahs to Middle Eastern rubbish dumps—the bird sheds its predatory persona. It becomes a slow, opportunistic scavenger, feeding on termite swarms or carrion. This dual existence is now under threat; the species' population has plummeted by more than half in recent decades, leading to its classification as endangered.

The dangers are human-made and pervasive. In Kazakhstan, power lines are a lethal trap; birds are frequently electrocuted when they perch on infrastructure that lacks proper safety measures. Agriculture has fragmented their nesting grounds, while the use of rodenticides to control vole populations has caused secondary poisoning, wiping out significant numbers of breeding pairs. Furthermore, the birds face illegal hunting, trapping, and trade.

Recognizing that no single nation can protect a species that traverses continents, a new Global Action Plan was formally ratified by the Convention on Migratory Species in 2026. Coordinated by the RSPB and supported by experts from over 35 countries, this initiative aims to address the eagle's decline over the next decade. By diagnosing specific threats and trialling conservation solutions, researchers hope to secure a future for this iconic scavenger of the open sky.

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