Short-toed Eagle - Circaetus gallicus

Short-toed Snake-eagle Circaetus gallicus
(aka Short-toed Eagle, European Snake-eagle)

Short-toed Eagle, Bramiana Reservoir, Crete, October 2002 - click for larger image

Bramiana Reservoir, Crete (photos 1 and 2), Al Ain, Abu Dhabi (photos 3 and 4) and Monfragüe NP, Spain (photos 5 and 6)

The Short-toed Snake-eagle breeds around the Mediterranean Basin and into Russia and the Middle East. This population migrates mainly to sub-Saharan Africa north of the Equator leaving in September/October and returning in April/May.

There are also resident populations in India and Pakistan and in some Indonesian islands. See the distribution map at Birdlife International.

It breeds in open, arid country often in mountains but it requires trees for nesting. In southern France at least, it is often seen hunting over vineyards. It feeds almost entirely on snakes.

Short-toed Eagle, Green Mubazzarah, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, March 2010 - click for larger image

It is a large and pale eagle with long, broad wings. The tail has 3 or 4 bars. The neck looks short and a dark bib is a noticeable feature in flight. The bib can be quite indistinct as in photo 3.

It is often seen hovering while searching for prey and, when it soars it does so on flattish wings.

The calls are a clear whistle but somehow reminiscent of a Herring Gull.

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Short-toed Eagle, Monfrague NP, Spain, March 2018 - click for larger image

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