I
I
Short-Toed Eagle

Short-Toed Eagle Identification Guide

Short-Toed Eagle

Key facts

Scientific name: Circaetus gallicus
UK status: Accidental (rare vagrant)
Global conservation status: Least concern
Length: 62 – 69 cm
Wingspan: 170 – 185 cm
Weight: 1.2–2.3 kg

Description

The short-toed eagle, also known as the short-toed snake eagle, is a large bird of prey with a large, rounded head, long, broad wings, and a short tail.

Its upperparts are grey-brown, while its underparts are silvery-white, with a light sandy brown hue on the upper breast, throat, and chin. The tail has three or four darker bands. The head is typically dark with bright yellow eyes although it may sometimes be pale. Its beak is dark grey, and its bare legs are yellow.

Seen a bird and not sure what it is?

Try our interactive bird identifier

Diet

Short-toed eagles primarily feed on reptiles, especially snakes, but also consume lizards, chameleons, and geckos. They will also prey on small mammals like rabbits and rodents, and occasionally eat birds, frogs, and insects.

Listen

Jorge Leitão/xeno-canto

Range and habitat

The short-toed eagle is found across the Mediterranean, Russia, the Middle East, parts of Western Asia and India, as well as some Indonesian islands. Populations in the northern range migrate to sub-Saharan Africa. It inhabits open landscapes with scattered trees, including grasslands, scrublands, and cultivated plains.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Discover more rare birds

Arctic Redpoll
Arctic Redpoll
Acanthis hornemanni
Chimney Swift
Chimney Swift
Chaetura pelagica
Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
Lesser Kestrel
Lesser Kestrel
Falco naumanni
Northern Mockingbird
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
Bufflehead
Bufflehead
Bucephala albeola
Egyptian Vulture
Egyptian Vulture
Neophron percnopterus
Brunnich's Guillemot
Brünnich’s Guillemot
Uria lomvia
Dusky Thrush
Dusky Thrush
Turdus eunomus
Glaucous-Winged Gull
Glaucous-Winged Gull
Larus glaucescens

Secure your bird watchig break for just £10

Secure your bird watchig break for just £10

Secure your bird watching break for just £10