Birds of the Indian Hills 



The imperial eagle has perhaps the darkest 

 plumage of all the eagles. This species does 

 not live up to its name. It feeds largely on 

 carrion, and probably never catches anything 

 larger than a rat. The imperial eagle is 

 common about Mussoorie except in the rains. 

 Captain Hutton states that he has seen as 

 many as fifty of them together in the month 

 of October when they reassemble after the 

 monsoon. 



The booted eagle has a very shrill call. 

 Its lower parts are pale in hue. 



Bonelli's eagle is fairly common both at 

 Naini Tal and Mussoorie. It is a fine bird, 

 and has plenty of courage. It often stoops to 

 fowls and is destructive to game birds. It is 

 of slighter build than the two eagles above 

 described. Its lower parts are white. 



The changeable hawk-eagle is also a fine 

 bird. It is very addicted to peafowl. The 

 hillmen call it the Mobrbaita, which, being 

 interpreted, is the peacock-killer. It utters a 

 loud cry, which Thompson renders wbee-wbick, 

 wbee-whick. This call is uttered by the bird 

 both when on the wing and at rest. Another 

 cry of this species has been syllabised toot, toot, 

 toot, toot-twee. 



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