The species requires large and open expanses of lake, coast or river valley, near to undisturbed cliffs or open stands of large, old-growth trees for nesting. Its food is vertebrates (fish, mammals and especially birds), from marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments. It is mainly migratory in the north and east of its breeding range, wintering in continental Europe and southern Asia, but sedentary elsewhere. Birds are usually seen singly, or in twos or threes (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001).

In the Mediterranean this species occurs in the eastern part of the region, with breeding only known to be occurring in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece and Turkey. It does breed in other countries in the Mediterranean region, but breeding doesn't occur within the Mediterranean hotspot boundary.

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix I and II. CMS Appendix I and II. EU Birds Directive Annex I.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Conservation measures should include the prevention of habitat loss from modern forestry and from human developments encroaching on nesting and hunting areas. Nests should also be protected from human disturbance and robbing; action should be taken against illegal shooting as well as the use of poisoned bait for predators. Reintroductions have proven successful elsewhere and could be used in the future. In some areas the provision of feeding stations would help juvenile survival and increase reproduction rates (Tucker and Heath 1994).