Lesser spotted eagle is a bird from the hawk family. It is found in Eurasia and Africa, within strictly limited ranges. What does the spotted spotted eagle look like? You will find the photo and description of the bird later in the article.
Taxonomy
Lesser spotted eagle previously entered into one species with a large spotted eagle. Outwardly, it is very difficult to distinguish them, although it has long been proven that they are different birds. They both belong to the genus of eagles and the hawk family. Great spotted eagle is larger than its “relative”; they have different breeding sites, ecology, and behavior. Differences between birds are found even in the DNA code.
Their common ancestors supposedly lived in the area of modern Afghanistan. About two million years ago, they divided into the western (Lesser spotted eagle) and Eastern branches (Greater spotted eagle). Today, their ranges intersect only in the north of Hindustan and in Eastern Europe. Related to the small spotted eagle are also the Spanish burial ground and the steppe eagle.
Description of the Lesser Spotted Eagle
The spotted eagle is a medium sized eagle. His body reaches up to 60 centimeters in length, and the wingspan is up to 1.4-1.6 meters. Females are larger than males, but their colors do not differ. Females weigh up to 3 kg, males weigh up to 2 kg. The tail of the bird is short and round, the head is small. The beak at the end is black, at the base is yellow, powerful and bent, like all members of the family.
The bird has a plain light brown plumage, sometimes even ocher. As a rule, it is lighter than the large spotted eagle. At the base of the tail there is a white line, in some birds it is absent. The extreme feathers of the tail and wings are dark brown or black. Young individuals have golden and white blotches in colors, and there is a bright spot on the back of the head.
The flight of the lesser spotted eagle is smooth, the wingspan is replaced by planning. He often circles over open terrain in search of food. Between trees and other natural obstacles, the flight is very fast and swift.
Habitat
The spotted spotted eagle bird is found in Asia Minor and Central and Eastern Europe. Wintering flies to Africa. There, its range begins with Sudan and ends with Namibia, Botswana and the eastern part of South Africa.
In Russia, it inhabits the territory near Novgorod and St. Petersburg, partly the Moscow and Tula regions, as well as the Krasnodar Territory. In Ukraine, the bird is found in the western and northwestern regions. The spotted eagle lives in India, the Balkans, Turkey, Hungary, Romania and Macedonia.
It settles in moist mixed or deciduous forests near open areas, river valleys. It lives in forest-steppes near poorly used agricultural land, as well as in places where forests alternate with meadows. In the Carpathians and the Balkans it can settle in the mountains at altitudes of up to 1800, in some cases - up to 2200 meters.
In most territories, the bird has the status of “close to threatened condition” or “rare species with limited range”. The main reasons why a bird can soon become an extinct species are deforestation, which destroys nesting sites. In the Krasnodar Territory, spotted eagle is already classified as a rare species. In Ukraine, it is guarded in the Carpathian, Polessky and Shatsky parks.
What does the spotted eagle eat?
Lesser spotted eagle is a predator. Its production is mainly land. Periodically, he hunts small birds, chicks or various insects. The main diet of the spotted eagle is composed of small rodents, lizards, frogs and snakes.
The large hare is too fast and strong to catch, so the bird preys on the fragile hare and cubs of other mammals, suitable in size. He leads a daily life. It hunts extremely rarely from the air, mainly it looks for prey sitting on tree branches or moving on the ground. A bird eats up to 500 grams of meat per day.
Nesting period
The spotted eagle flies to the nesting sites near the end of April; the current they last until the end of May. These are monogamous birds and they only choose a pair for themselves once. During the mating ritual, they circle together in the air, males feed the females from the beak. Sometimes one bird remains streaming in the long and ringing voices on the nest, while the other whirls above it in flight at a distance of up to a kilometer.
Bird nests are placed on large tree branches, making sure that this place can be easily flown up. In diameter, they reach from 50 to 100 cm. Thick rods and branches serve as material, as a rule, leaves, dry grass and bark are lined inside. Eagles use one nest several times. For years and even decades, they can fly to a once successfully equipped place.
During the nesting period, birds clearly define their territory and vehemently protect it. They do not admit not only spotted eagles, but also other species. On the winter side, they, on the contrary, behave very peacefully and easily get along with other eagles.
In the clutch of birds there are only two eggs, and one of the cubs often becomes the victim of the second. For 45 days, parents alternately incubate the masonry. White eggs with brown dots. Chicks are fed for about two months, after which they leave the "house". They only become sexually mature at 3-4 years of age. In total, small spotted eagles live 15-20 years.