Talk:Short-toed snake eagle

Short-toed eagles in Granada Spain

moved from Village pump by IMSoP 21:58, 25 Apr 2004 (UTC) moved by Vanderesch 14:13, 29 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Hi. Thanks for your site. Could you please supply some information on Short-toed eagle breeding & migration habits. I live in Southern España (www.geocities.com/lecringranada/birdlist) and have become very interested in the local Eagle population. The Spanish Imperial has completely disappeared from our area. Over the last 5 years, due to changes in agriculture and hunting, I have seen the decline of Bonelli’s until last year we only recorded one in the valley. However, this seems to have increased the population of both Booted and Short-toed eagles and I would like to know how large a territory each pair will need. I have watched as the Short-toed have flown with snakes and indeed have located snakes which they have dropped in flight , the largest of which was over 5 foot long. Quite often the effort of flight with such weight forces them to rest in open ground giving wonderful observation opportunities. At the end of the last breeding season we watched a family of 4 Short-toed on many muscle building flights before migration. From this I thought (no doubt in error) they had reared 2 chicks. This year we have seen the return of a juvenile before the adults. We were expecting the adults to force it into a new breading area but this has not happened. My question is, did I see the same family grouping last year made up of a new chick, a juvenile from a previous year & the two adults because the text books say they only hatch one egg per year? Thanking you in anticipation, Ken Sumner.

• Dear Ken, as main author of the Short-toed Eagle article I must admit that I am not so sure how many eggs they lay. So I'll look around for some more information. If you have any correct information that confirms that they lay more than one egg please change that information in the article.Vanderesch 14:05, 29 Apr 2004 (UTC)

A single egg, incubation usually by female, 40-52 days, fledges 70-75 days, don't know anything else about breeding (those eagles that lay two eggs, often the larger chick kills the smaller anyway). jimfbleak 17:01, 29 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Hi, Ian Sinclair's field guide to birds of Southern Africa he also has an eagle with the same Latin name as this one, but he calls it Blackbreasted Snake Eagle, and the picture is very different to this one. Any ideas? Richard in the UK

Black-chested Snake-eagle is sometimes considered a subspecies of C. gallicus. However, the third edition of SASOL Birds of Southern Africa (Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey and Warwick Tarboton, (Struik 2002) ISBN 1-86872-721-1) has it as a separate species, Circaetus pectoralis, as does HBW. jimfbleak 06:12, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

* On the basis of only one sighting in Israel/Palestine, but also on the basis of thorough descriptions in local field-guides, I would say that the short-toed eagle has a very dark and distinct brown head and breast, or bib - this being the most obvious distinguishing feature. perhaps there is some local variation in colouring from one population to another? The photo definitely seems a-typically pale.

Jethro currently in Jerusalem --213.8.87.25 16:48, 11 March 2007 (UTC)

"Great Britain is an island NOT a country!"

true! see British Isles (terminology) (and Isles of Scilly). Scilly was administered out of Cornwall and is now self-administered, but seems to be considered "English". the big island is Great Britain or Britain; the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Island (the United Kingdom) is both big islands minus the Irish Republic. it get's complicated -- see the articles above.... - Μετανοιδ (talk, email) 21:53, 8 August 2008 (UTC)