Page 129 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

BIRDS OF PREY
Order Accipitriformes Family Accipitridae Species Circaetus gallicus
Short-toed Eagle

yellow eye
broad, round bulky, round head
wingtips
no dark wrist
patch
pale brown
variable dark upperside
hood
new feathers dark,
very pale old ones paler
underwings with with ragged
blackish bars edges grey-white
underside
with fine
bars
IN FLIGHT

FLIGHT: glides on bowed wings pushed forward;
soars with wings very long and straight, head
protruding in display; hovers with heavy, floppy action.
large, impressive eagle, the Short-
Atoed Eagle is sometimes seen
perched at close range, on a high
pylon or on top of a tall tree, when its bare
legs
crisply barred plumage and vivid yellow long tail
eyes give it a handsome and magnificent appearance.
One of the “snake-eagles”, this bird of prey has strong,
bare legs, a thickly feathered, rounded head, and an
owl-like face.While hunting it hovers before a long,
fast plunge, with its head pulled back, wings almost
closed, and chest thrust out, reaching out with its feet
at the last moment.
VOICE Various short, abrupt calls, kyo, meeok. PERSISTENT
NESTING Bulky stick nest in crown of large tree; HUNTER
Short-toed Eagles
1 egg; 1 brood;April–June. spend hours flying
FEEDING Catches snakes and lizards, typically over open hillsides,
stooping onto them at speed after hover, sometimes hovering frequently,
from great height. searching for prey.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
In summer, over high, open slopes,
black and rocky areas with short scrub,
smaller head- in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy,
black wrist stripe and Balkans. Prefers some wood-
patches on
underwings land but mostly semi-natural
unbarred vegetation such as aromatic, thorny
below
scrub; absent from farmed areas.
BOOTED EAGLE
pale form; OSPREY Seen in the UK
see p.128 see p.121 JF M A M J JA S ON D
Length 62–69cm (24–27in) Wingspan 1.62–1.78m (5 1 ⁄4 –5 3 ⁄4ft) Weight 1.5–2.5kg (3 1 ⁄4 –5 1 ⁄2lb)
Social Family groups Lifespan Up to 15 years Status Rare
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