Lesser spotted eagle
Lesser spotted eagle | |
---|---|
Adult Note light patches on wings and white V on rump | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Accipitriformes |
Family: | Accipitridae |
Genus: | Clanga |
Species: | C. pomarina
|
Binomial name | |
Clanga pomarina (Brehm, CL, 1831)
| |
Range of C. pomarina
Breeding Non-breeding Passage
| |
Synonyms | |
Aquila pomarina |
The lesser spotted eagle (Clanga pomarina) is a large Eastern European bird of prey. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. The typical eagles are often united with the buteos, sea eagles, and other more heavy-set Accipitridae, but more recently it appears as if they are less distinct from the more slender accipitrine hawks than believed.
Description
This is a medium-sized eagle, about 60 cm (24 in) in length and with a wingspan of 150 cm (59 in). Its head and wing coverts are pale brown and contrast with the generally dark plumage. The head and bill are small for an eagle. Usually, a white patch occurs on the upper wings, and even adults retain a clearly marked white "V" on the rump; the wing markings are absent and the white "V" is not well-defined in the greater spotted eagle.
The juvenile has less contrast in the wings, but the
The call is a dog-like yip.
Taxonomy and evolution
The birds formerly considered to be the resident
The present species hybridizes occasionally with the greater spotted eagle. Hybrid birds are almost impossible to identify if not seen up close.[6]
Distribution and habitat
The lesser spotted eagle breeds in
Behaviour and ecology
The lesser spotted eagle uses regularly spaced territories consistently between years in the north-western part of its distribution. The distances between territories vary across the region, although this was not found to be related to breeding success. Synchronous variation in breeding success across the region indicates that the eagles are instead influenced by large-scale factors such as fluctuations in climate or prey availability.[11] The lesser spotted eagle lays one to three white, buff-spotted
References
- . Retrieved 14 February 2022.
- ^ The estimate in Väli 2006 is certainly incorrect; it uses a molecular clock that is appropriate for small passerines with half the generation times of eagles.
- .
- ISBN 978-84-87334-67-2.
- ^ Väli, Ülo (2006). "Mitochondrial DNA sequences support species status for the Indian Spotted Eagle Aquila hastata". Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 126 (3): 238–242.
- S2CID 20893726.
- ^ "Lesser Spotted Eagle Clanga pomarina in Armenia". Armenian Bird Census, TSE NGO].
- ^ "Aquila pomarina (Lesser spotted eagle)". Animal Diversity Web.
- ^ "Lesser Spotted Eagle | the Peregrine Fund".
- ^ "Lesser Spotted Eagle | the Peregrine Fund".
- .
Further reading
- Svensson, Lars (1–8 November 1986). Underwing pattern of Steppe, Spotted and Lesser Spotted Eagles. International Bird Identification: Proceedings of the 4th International Identification Meeting. Eilat: International Birdwatching Centre Eilat. pp. 12–14.
External links
- Lesser spotted eagle species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
- BirdLife species factsheet for Clanga pomarina
- "Clanga pomarina". Avibase.
- "Lesser spotted eagle media". Internet Bird Collection.
- Lesser spotted eagle photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)
- Audio recordings of Lesser Spotted Eagle on Xeno-canto.