Greater spotted eagle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Greater spotted eagle |
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| Adult wintering at the Tal Chapar Wildlife Sanctuary (Rajasthan, India) | |
| Conservation status | |
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Buteoninae
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| Genus: |
Aquila
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| Binomial name | |
| Aquila clanga |
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| Breeding (light green) and wintering (blue) ranges | |
The greater spotted eagle (Aquila clanga), occasionally just called the spotted eagle, is a large bird of prey. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. In summer it lives in eastern Eurasia, and winters further south.
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Description
A medium-sized eagle, the greater spotted eagle only has white spots as a juvenile, when they extend in bands across the upperwing. By adulthood, the spots have faded leaving dark brown feathers across the head, body and wings, with slightly paler flight feathers on the upper side. In gliding flight, the greater spotted eagle holds the feathers at the tips of the wings downward.
Distribution and habitat
This is a species of wooded country. The population is entirely migratory. It breeds from northern Europe eastwards across Eurasia, and winters in south-eastern Europe, north-eastern Africa, the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. Migration to the breeding grounds takes place fairly late; in Bhutan, for example, birds can be seen with some regularity until the end of March.
Movements
This species is prone to vagrancy. Its regular breeding range no longer extends as far westwards as Germany but birds are still occasionally seen there with a few records per decade. Even young birds disperse widely; the Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde Dresden has a specimen (C 21845) shot in November 1914 near Bernsdorf in Saxony. It is a juvenile, and though its exact age cannot be determined it is heavily spotted and probably less than 20 months old.
An adult greater spotted was tagged with a satellite transponder in 1993 in order to track migration. The tagged eagle migrated a total of 5,526 km (3,434 mi) from its wintering grounds in Yemen to it breeding grounds in western Siberia. It moved 150 km (93 mi) on average each day, but this increased to 280 km (170 mi) per day as the bird flew through Mesopotamia.
Behaviour
In its winter range, the species is more social than when breeding. Small flocks of up to ten birds or so, of varying age, can be seen to patrol the land together. They also associate with other Accipitridae such as local and/or migrant black kites (Milvus migrans lineatus and govinda) or steppe eagles (A. nipalensis), distinctly smaller and larger raptors, respectively.
Feeding
The eagle hunts small mammals and similar, mainly terrestrial, prey.
Breeding
This eagle lays 1–3 eggs in a tree nest. Generally territorial, juveniles spend some time with their parents after fledging, until they reach sexual maturity and seek out a territory and a mate of their own.
Images for kids
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A juvenile wintering in India exhibiting the highly distinct fulvescens morph plumage.
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Museum specimen of juvenile
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Greater spotted eagles are large raptors and medium-sized eagles.
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A characteristic young greater spotted eagle, showing its dark colouring and extensive white wing markings.
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Greater spotted eagle in flight, wintering in Israel.
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A greater spotted eagle in Karumady, this species is often at home in wetland-type habitats.
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rightUpperside of adult wintering in Bharatpur (Rajasthan, India) Note light wing stripes.
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Large water-dwelling rodents such as European water voles are significant food for breeding greater spotted eagles along with smaller upland vole species.
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Water birds such as common moorhens are a common component of the diet of greater spotted eagles in almost any season.
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A drongo mobs a wintering greater spotted eagles, which are predators of birds of various sizes.
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Greater spotted eagles such as this wintering in India often forage alongside and compete against sympatric eagle species.
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Wintering greater spotted eagle in Israel.
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See also
In Spanish: Águila moteada para niños
