ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the relation between eagles and environmental factors, including climate temperature and rainfall, and the related weather phenomena such as thermals, wind and daily and seasonal weather changes, which may affect eagle flight and migration. Physical features include relief, topography and elevation, which may also affect eagle flight foraging activities, and migration through orographic lift and thermals. Biological features include local, regional and global vegetation types, including closed forest vegetation, open rocky terrain, grassland, savanna and mixed tree-grass environments, which may be used for foraging and nesting. Waterbodies, such as lakes, rivers and the sea also affect eagle foraging and habitats. All these physical features may thus affect eagle life histories, including ecological relations, migration patterns and physical hunting behavior and even the population distribution patterns. Examples are taken from the global climate and vegetation types in the six continents where eagles are resident, and local ecosystems were general and unique issues are examined. These may be related the different species of eagles, with their varying ecological requirements.
