Northern populations of the booted eagle feed mainly on small birds, mammals and reptiles, while in Africa, rodents form the bulk of its diet. Although birds are frequently caught on the wing, the booted eagle typically soars at height, swooping down to take prey off the ground (5).
The nesting behaviour of the booted eagle also varies slightly across its range, with northern populations tending to build a nest in a tree or on the ledge of a cliff, whilst southern African populations only nest on cliffs (3) (5). There is usually just a single clutch of one to three eggs each year, which are incubated, predominately by the female, for around 35 days. The young normally fledge around 50 days after hatching (5).
The seasonal movements of the booted eagle are highly complex with European populations overwintering as far south as southern Africa, whist other populations appear to remain in the same area year round (5).