Short-toed snake eagle
Short-toed snake eagle | |
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In flight with prey - Trentino-South-Tyrol, Italy | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Accipitriformes |
Family: | Accipitridae |
Genus: | Circaetus |
Species: | C. gallicus
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Binomial name | |
Circaetus gallicus (Gmelin, JF, 1788)
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Subspecies | |
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Range of C. gallicus Breeding Resident Passage Non-breeding
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The short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus gallicus), also known as the short-toed eagle, is a medium-sized
Taxonomy
The short-toed snake eagle was
Two subspecies are recognised:[9]
- C. g. gallicus (Gmelin, JF, 1788) – southwest Europe to central Asia, northwest China and India
- C. g. sacerdotis Ng, NSR, Christidis, Olsen, Norman & Rheindt, 2017 – east Java, Bali, and Lombok to Timor (Lesser Sunda Islands)[11]
Description
These are relatively large snake eagles. Adults are 59 to 70 cm (23 to 28 in) long with a 162 to 195 cm (5 ft 4 in to 6 ft 5 in) wingspan and weigh 1.2–2.3 kg (2.6–5.1 lb), an average weight for the species is about 1.7 kg (3.7 lb).[12][13][14] They can be recognised in the field by their predominantly white underside, the upper parts being greyish brown. The chin, throat and upper breast are a pale, earthy brown. The tail has 3 or 4 bars. Additional indications are an owl-like rounded head, brightly yellow eyes and lightly barred under wing.
The short-toed snake eagle spends more time on the wing than do most members of its genus. It favours soaring over hill slopes and hilltops on updraughts, and it does much of its hunting from this position at heights of up to 500 m (1,600 ft). When quartering open country it frequently hovers like a kestrel.[15] When it soars it does so on flattish wings.
Distribution and habitat
This is an
Those present on the northern edge of the Mediterranean and other parts of Europe migrate mainly to sub-Saharan Africa north of the equator, leaving in September/October and returning in April/May.[16] In the Middle and Far East the populations are resident. In Europe, it is most numerous in Spain where it is fairly common but elsewhere it is rare in many parts of its range. A bird on the Isles of Scilly, Britain, in October 1999 was the first confirmed record for that country.
The short-toed snake eagle is found in open cultivated plains, arid stony deciduous scrub areas and foothills and semi-desert areas.[17] It requires trees for nesting and open habitats, such as cultivations and grasslands for foraging.[18]
Behaviour
Its prey is mostly reptiles, mainly snakes, but also some lizards.[19] Sometimes they become entangled with larger snakes and battle on the ground.[20] Occasionally, they prey on small mammals up to the size of a rabbit, and rarely birds and large insects.
This eagle is generally very silent. On occasions, it emits a variety of musical whistling notes. When breeding, it lays only one egg. It can live up to 17 years.
The short-toed snake eagle has suffered a steep decline in numbers and range in Europe and is now rare and still decreasing in several countries due to changes in agriculture and land use. It needs protection.[citation needed] In the middle and far eastern part of its range, this species is not yet threatened.
Historical material
In his description of the species, Buffon says that he kept one of these eagles in captivity and observed its behavior. The captive bird ate mice and frogs, and he states that the Jean-de-blanc was well known by French farmers for raiding poultry.[21]
Gallery
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Characteristic white underside
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Swallowing prey while flying
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Yellow eyes
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Detail of the feathers
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With a rat
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Hovering
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Short-toed snake eagle in its nest, Rollapadu wildlife sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India
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The short toes that give the name
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In flight in Kuwait
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Egg, Collection Museum Wiesbaden
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Short-toed snake eagle. Saswad,Pune,India.
References
- . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ^ Gmelin, Johann Friedrich (1788). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae : secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 1 (13th ed.). Lipsiae [Leipzig]: Georg. Emanuel. Beer. p. 259.
- ^ Latham, John (1785). A General Synopsis of Birds. Vol. 1, Part 1. London: Printed for Leigh and Sotheby. p. 39, No. 17.
- ^ Brisson, Mathurin Jacques (1760). Ornithologie, ou, Méthode Contenant la Division des Oiseaux en Ordres, Sections, Genres, Especes & leurs Variétés (in French and Latin). Vol. 1. Paris: Jean-Baptiste Bauche. p. 443. The two stars (**) at the start of the section indicates that Brisson based his description on the examination of a specimen.
- ^ Buffon, Georges-Louis Leclerc de (1770). "Jean-Le-Blanc". Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux (in French). Vol. 1. Paris: De l'Imprimerie Royale. p. 124; Plate 4.
- Daubenton, Louis-Jean-Marie (1765–1783). "Le Jean-le-Blanc". Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle. Vol. 5. Paris: De L'Imprimerie Royale. Plate 413.
- ^ Vieillot, Louis Pierre (1816). Analyse d'une Nouvelle Ornithologie Élémentaire (in French). Paris: Deterville/self. p. 23.
- ^ Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2022). "Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors". IOC World Bird List Version 12.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- .
- ^ del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J., eds. (1994). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 2: New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.
- ^ Borrow, N. (2020). Field Guide to Birds of Western Africa. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- ^ Klem, D. (1997). A field guide to birds of Armenia. American University of Armenia.
- .
- .
- .
- ^ Bakaloudis, D.E. (2009). "Implications for conservation of foraging sites selected by Short-toed Eagles (Circaetus gallicus) in Greece". Ornis Fennica. 86: 89–96.
- ^ Bakaloudis D.E.; C.G. Vlachos (2011). "Feeding habits and provisioning rate of breeding short-toed eagles Circaetus gallicus in northeastern Greece". Journal of Biological Research. 16: 166–176.
- ^ Jerdon, T.C. (1862). The Birds of India. Vol. 1. Military Orphan Press. p. 77.
- ^ "The White John". The natural history of birds from the French of the Count de Buffon. Vol. 1. Translated by Anonymous. London. 1793. pp. 86–95.
External links
- Short-toed-Eagle.net
- Ageing and sexing (PDF; 3.3 MB) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta & Gerd-Michael Heinze
- BirdLife species factsheet for Circaetus gallicus
- "Circaetus gallicus". Avibase.
- "Short-toed Snake-eagle media". Internet Bird Collection.
- Short-toed snake eagle photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)
- Audio recordings of Short-toed Snake Eagle on Xeno-canto.