sentences:  According to folklore, the imperial eagle was able to divert the hailstorm clouds from the area it inhabited, and it was thus able to save farmers' crops.Therefore, the monarchy of Austria-Hungary once chose the imperial eagle to be its heraldic animal.Despite the historic reverence for the species, it was not spared the negative and hostile view of all birds of prey that arose throughout Europe and its colonies in the 17th century onwards, and the resulting persecution of essentially all birds of prey, including the eastern imperial eagle.