Belarus is a country with a very rich flora and fauna. To this day, its natural riches amaze and delight both local and visiting tourists. If we talk about birds of prey in Belarus, photos and names of which are presented in this article, then there are about 29 species.
Not everyone succeeds in meeting them. But still, sometimes they can be seen sitting alone on a tree branch, in the forest or on power poles. Only for a long time they do not allow themselves to be admired; when a person approaches, they fly away. So, which birds of prey in Belarus are most widely known?
White-tailed eagle
White-tailed eagle is one of the largest representatives of predatory birds. Adult individuals can reach a mass of about 6 kg and have a wingspan of about 2.5 meters. Their silhouette in flight is characterized by long and wide wings, a short tail and a head extended forward with a powerful beak. Adult birds (6 years old and older) are brown, often a little lighter on top, have a bright head and neck, a snow-white tail, a yellow beak and eyes with an iris. Young eagles, after exiting the nest, are usually much darker, have a dark head, beak, their abdomen feathers are slightly lighter, there are dark spots on the ends of the wings. In the next 2 years of life, young eagles, as a result of a gradual replacement of plumage, acquire a more even color. And at the age of 3-4 years old they begin to resemble adult birds, the plumage becomes more evenly brown, the tail whitens, and the beak acquires a yellowish color. The life span of a white-tailed eagle in vivo can reach 30 years.
Breeding places of this proud bird of prey in Belarus are forests located near lakes, reservoirs, fish ponds and rivers. The main requirement for the place of their nesting is the presence of old and strong trees growing near water bodies, and the rare presence of people. Most often they build a nest on pines, beech, alder or oak. Some pairs may have 2-3 sockets. The main prey for the white-tailed eagle is fish and waterfowl.
Goshawk
The male of this bird of prey in Belarus is smaller than the female (its body weight is about 640 g, wingspan about 90 cm). The back has a dark gray color, the belly is red with gray feathers located along the longitudinal lines. During the flight, it can be recognized by its short rounded wings and a long tail with four visible longitudinal stripes. The female in flight looks the same (usually 240 g heavier than the male). The span of its huge wings is about 100 cm, the belly has a whitish color.
The birds of prey of Belarus, the photo of which is presented in this article, are divided into migratory and wintering. Goshawk is a migratory predator; after winter, in March, it returns to its nesting territory. In May or June, 4 or 6 eggs appear in the nest. After 33 days of laying, young chicks hatch. As a rule, they leave the nest only after 4-5 weeks.
Golden eagle
Golden eagle is one of the largest birds of prey and omnivores in Belarus. The adult male has brown plumage with golden reflections on the back of the neck and neck. The offspring is about the same color, but their tail is white, which is bordered by a black stripe, and on the lower surface of the wings there is a large white spot. The tail end of an adult eagle is slightly rounded. The golden eagle flies and soars in a position with horizontally strong wings open. On the paws there are curved sharp claws with which this bird captures and kills its prey - the golden eagle never keeps it in its beak.
The mass of the golden eagle is approximately 3.4-4.5 kg, and it soars at a speed of 150-190 km / h; and when it attacks a hare, fox, groundhog or young goat, its speed reaches 320 km / h. Its wingspan exceeds 2 meters. Looking at her prey, this bird of prey of Belarus soars very high. The golden eagle has very good vision, which allows you to see the field mouse from a height of thousands of meters.
Griffon Vulture
Appearance is characterized by a body length of 95-105 cm, a wingspan of about 260-280 cm, and individuals weigh up to 7 kg by weight. The griffon vulture has a bare head and a curved neck, which is sometimes covered with rare ash fluff from bright feathers such as frill. On top of the back, the feathers are darker in color, below the feathers are lighter, reddish. The wings are usually black plumage. Legs and beak are gray. Vulture soars on wings raised in the form of the letter "V" (during the flight it uses ascending air currents). Its tail is short and rounded. When he is on the ground, he moves on it, jumping or striding. The griffon vulture is larger than most birds of prey in its size. By type of food he is a scavenger.
Steppe eagle
The length of this proud predator is about 75 centimeters. Its wingspan is approximately 190 cm, weight reaches 3700 g. It has a dark brown plumage with a noticeable delicate purple shine. The tail is striated. Young individuals are usually brighter than adult males; temples, as a rule, have a light brown spot. The beak of these birds is dark gray, the fingers are yellow. This bird is very easy to confuse with a burial eagle. The female is noticeably larger than the male. Eagles nest on the ground, and if possible, then on a tree. The Steppe Eagle is a low-flying bird. Not aggressive towards people.
Birds of prey in Belarus: photo and description
This feathered one has pronounced sexual dimorphism. The male is dull dark gray above, the belly is lighter, reddish, the feathers are silvery at the ends of the wings. A characteristic feature of this species are orange legs with characteristic "pants", as well as an orange-red ring around the beak and around the eyes. The female is significantly larger than the male, has a dark top of the head and a gray body color. Around the eyes, the female has a dark, so-called, mask; the upper body, wings and tail are painted gray with visible dark transverse stripes. The female also has orange legs.
Young predatory males are similar to adults, but have a brighter lower side of the wings and the front of the head and neck. The common bobcat is slightly smaller than the kestrel, has a short tail. Its appearance resembles a predatory falcon, but compared with it, it has a more moderate, miniature silhouette.