Mongolian bird 1

Hi folks. A friend went to Mongolia recently and can\'t identify some of the animals in the pics he took so I volunteered your services. Any ideas what species this is?

Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos daphanea

I think it is an immature steppe eagle

Where are you birders at? I thought that this one was going to be easy for you. Are golden eagles and steppe eagles so similar?

nanoboy said:

Where are you birders at? I thought that this one was going to be easy for you. Are golden eagles and steppe eagles so similar?

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yes they are. I would lean to steppe eagle due to the length of the gape (although hard to tell from this photo) and the dark undertail. But I don't really know what I'm talking about because I've never seen either in real life.

I think the underwing pattern of immature golden eagle is different from this one, the immature golden eagle's underwing pattern likes a large white comma. And the steppe eagle is more common in Mongolian steppe, at least the case in China side. The golden eagle favors the mountainous area.

baboon said:

I think it is an immature steppe eagle

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I agree.. It's gape (mouth) too big for a Golden Eagle... It goes far beyond the eye..