Verreaux's eagle is part of a broad group of raptors called "booted eagles" which are defined by the feature that all included species have feathering over their tarsus, whereas most other accipitrids have bare legs. Included in this group are all species described as "hawk eagles" including the genera "Spizaetus" and "Nisaetus", as well as assorted monotypical genera such as "Oroaetus", "Lophaetus", "Stephanoaetus", "Polemaetus", "Lophotriorchis" and "Ictinaetus". The genus "Aquila" is distributed across every continent but for South America and Antarctica. Up to 20 species have been classified in the genus but the taxonomic placement of some of the traditionally included species has recently been questioned. Traditionally, the "Aquila" eagles have been grouped superficially as largish, mainly brownish or dark-colored booted eagles that vary little in transition from their juvenile to their adult plumages.