Greater Spotted Eagle

Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga) is a large dark-brown migratory eagle with broad wings, a short rounded tail and pale spotting that is strongest on young birds. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds around forested wetlands across Eurasia, migrates south for winter and hunts small mammals, waterbirds, amphibians and carrion over marshes and open country. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).