Short-toed Snake Eagle

Circaetus gallicus

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernVertebratesWoodlandPlatform nestHuge · 1.7 kg

What the Short-toed Snake Eagle sounds like

Sonogram of the Short-toed Snake Eagle: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Benoît Van Hecke · Call · Quinçay, Vienne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Short-toed Snake Eagle: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Benoît Van Hecke · Call · Quinçay, Vienne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Short-toed Snake Eagle: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Benoît Van Hecke · Call · Béruges, Vienne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

These are relatively large snake eagles. Adults are 59 to 70 cm (23 to 28 in) long with a 162 to 195 cm (5 ft 4 in to 6 ft 5 in) wingspan and weigh 1.2–2.3 kg (2.6–5.1 lb), an average weight for the species is about 1.7 kg (3.7 lb). They can be recognised in the field by their predominantly white underside, the upper parts being greyish brown. The chin, throat and upper breast are a pale, earthy brown. The tail has 3 or 4 bars. Additional indications are an owl-like rounded head, brightly yellow eyes and lightly barred under wing.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Short-toed Snake Eagle

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 8 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is September, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Short-toed Snake Eagle

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 94 countries with regular records, and 6 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Recorded as a rare visitor in United Kingdom, Finland, Norway, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Kosovo.

About the Short-toed Snake Eagle

The short-toed snake eagle, also known as the short-toed eagle, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, buzzards and harriers. The genus name Circaetus is from the Ancient Greek kirkos, a type of hawk, and aetos, "eagle". The specific gallicus means "of Gallia".

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Short-toed Snake Eagle vs Swallow-tailed Kite · Brown Snake Eagle vs Short-toed Snake Eagle · Black-chested Snake Eagle vs Short-toed Snake Eagle · Short-toed Snake Eagle vs Western Banded Snake Eagle

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