Originally a lowland species, it has largely retreated to large forests in mountains because of persecution and habitat loss (Meyburg and Kirwan 2020). Typically breeds in forests up to 1,300 m (but recorded to 2,000 m in Türkiye [Kirwan et al. 2008]) and also in steppe and agricultural areas with large trees, and nowadays also on electricity pylons, foraging in open areas, including cultivation and adjoining marshland (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001, Meyburg and Kirwan 2020). Wintering birds typically found in open grassland, plains, semi-deserts and cultivation, as well as the borders of large marshes, lakes, and other wetlands; found up to 3,900 m in south Asia during passage (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001). Both adults and immatures of the eastern populations are migratory, making their southward migration between September and November, returning between February and May (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001). Main prey species are small to medium-sized mammals and birds (Meyburg and Kirwan 2020). The diet of the species can be diverse, with 126 different species and 29 other taxa identified as prey in Hungary alone (Horváth et al. 2018).

The species breeds in Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan. The species has an even wider non-breeding range, also occurring in wider Azerbaijan, China (including Hong Kong and Macao), Türkiye, and Turkmenistan, as well as Armenia, towards the Middle East and down into Africa including Israel, Palestine, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, and into Asia including Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan (to China), with some resident individuals remaining in Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and other resident populations occurring in Afghanistan, Armenia, Iran, and Syria. During passage the species may additionally be sighted in Bahrain, Bulgaria, Greece, North Korea, Moldova, Oman, Qatar, South Sudan, and Yemen.

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix I. CMS Appendix I and II. EU Birds Directive Annex I. Raptors MoU Annex 1. It is legally protected in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Türkiye and Ukraine. The Eastern Imperial Eagle Working Group was established in 1990. A European action plan was published in 1996 (Heredia 1996) and its implementation reviewed in 2010 (Barov and Derhé 2011). Regional Action Plans have been published for the Balkan Peninsula (Stoychev et al. 2004), Southern Caucasus (Horváth et al. 2006), and Georgia (Budagashvili 2024). The Eastern Imperial Eagle Management Guidelines for Hungary were published in 2005 (Kovács et al. 2005) and for Slovakia in 2007 (Demeter and Maderič 2007). Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds has purchased 550 ha of pastureland inhabited by ground-squirrels and other main prey species, in home ranges and known areas where floaters congregate in an attempt to protect the ground-squirrels and eagles and other birds of prey that rely on them for food (D. Demerdzhiev pers. comm.). The provision of nesting platforms has been shown to aid in local population increases (Shashkin et al. 2011).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Continue ongoing monitoring in Eastern Europe and Asia (particularly Russia, Kazakhstan, Türkiye and the Caucasus) to track population size and trends. Improve protection of species and sites. Implement beneficial forestry policies. Maintain large trees in open land and protect old woodland on slopes (B. Hallmann in litt. 1999). Prevent mortality from poisoning, electrocution on medium-voltage powerlines, nest robbing, nest destruction and illegal trade as well as persecution in wintering grounds and migratory routes. Maintain feeding habitats by preserving traditional land use. Increase the availability of prey species and improve breeding and foraging habitats by habitat management. Raise public awareness and involve stakeholders in conservation activities.