Whilst birding Ushaiqer waste dump I found at least two Eastern Imperial Eagles. The birds were seen sitting on the ground amongst about fifty Steppe Eagles and allowed close approach in the car. I took the below photos which are some of the best photos I have of the species. The Eastern Imperial Eagle is an uncommon winter visitor to Saudi Arabia with most records coming from the north of the country where they are generally seen inland rather than near the coast. The species breeds from Eastern Europe across Asia to China and winters in the Middle East, east Africa south to Tanzania, the Arabian Peninsula, India, and from Thailand to Korea. Currently Eastern Imperial Eagle is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List as it has a small global population and is likely to be undergoing continuing declines, primarily as a result of habitat loss and degradation, persecution and prey depletion.
