Rare Imperial Eagle spotted in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve

Wildlife enthusiasts have confirmed the presence of an Eastern Imperial Eagle visiting the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) during the winter migratory season.

A pair of the rare Eastern Imperial Eagles (Aquila heliaca), was spotted by Murali Moorthy. One particular picture captures one of the raptors with another rare bird – an endangered Egyptian vulture.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Murali said that the bird breeds primarily throughout Western and Central Asia, while they also migrate during winter to parts of Africa, the Middle East as well as South and East Asia.

Arockianathan Samson, from the Bombay Natural History Society, who was part of a team of researchers who documented 58 species of raptors in MTR between 2011 and 2022, said that the tiger reserve provided an ideal habitat, food availability and a conducive climate for raptors to flourish.

“Most raptors also prefer areas with little anthropogenic pressures and good food availability,” said Mr. Samson.

During the breeding season, the Imperial Eagle prefers open landscapes with scattered forests, commonly known as forest-steppe habitats. These areas provide tall trees for nesting and open grounds for hunting. The breeding range stretches across a vast region—from Western Europe through Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and further into Siberia and northwestern China.

As a top predator, the Imperial Eagle plays a vital role in maintaining ecological balance by controlling populations of rodents and other small animals. Its presence is often a sign of a healthy ecosystem.

However, habitat loss, disturbance, and reduced food availability threaten this magnificent bird across its range. Protecting both its breeding grounds and wintering areas is essential for ensuring its survival, added Mr. Samson.

This year has witnessed a large influx of winter migrants, especially birds of prey, added Murali Moorthy, who said that while Greater spotted eagles - another winter migratory species, were also recorded in 2024, that the numbers this year were far higher.

Despite the encouraging sightings, conservationists have also appealed to the Forest Department and the Nilgiris district administration to consider imposing limitations to the number of visitors allowed into the tiger reserve, especially during the peak tourist season months in the summer and winter.

“As the tiger reserve is a biodiversity hotspot, it is now also subject to pressures from tourism, with it probably being the most heavily visited region of the Nilgiris only apart from Ooty town. In the coming years, these pressures will only increase, so the government must begin considering a tourism policy that can be implemented to reduce such pressures. This will protect not just native wildlife, but also winter migrants from across the world which visit MTR each year,” said a conservationist from The Nilgiris.

“Continuous sightings of the Imperial Eagle have been documented through the global bird-watching platform eBird from 2020 to 2025, confirming that the Imperial Eagle regularly visits Mudumalai, highlighting the importance of the landscape,” said Mr. Samson, who had also recorded the species in 2017.

“Most of these records were made between November and February, which coincides with the species’ winter migration period. These repeated observations strongly suggest that Mudumalai Tiger Reserve serves as an important wintering habitat for the Imperial Eagle. The presence of open grasslands, forest edges, and abundant prey in the reserve likely supports the species during its long stay away from its breeding grounds in Europe and Central Asia. Such records underline the global conservation value of Indian protected areas and the need to safeguard wintering habitats for migratory birds that travel thousands of kilometres across continents,” he added.