Birds · Accipitriformes · Accipitridae

Lesser Spotted Eagle

Clanga pomarina

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The lesser spotted eagle is a medium-sized raptor that breeds in the forests of eastern Europe beside the meadows and wetlands where it hunts voles, frogs and reptiles. It makes one of the most spectacular migrations in Europe: almost the entire world population crosses the Bosphorus and the Israeli corridor in flocks of tens of thousands of birds, to winter in southern Africa. It depends on mosaics of woodland and damp meadow that intensive farming is wiping out.

Weight

1.1 kg – 2 kg

Size

55 cm – 67 cm

Lifespan

26 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

Almost the entire world population passes through two very narrow migration bottlenecks: the Bosphorus and the Jordan valley, where tens of thousands of birds are counted within a few days in September.
It lays two eggs but almost always only the first chick survives: the elder systematically kills the younger within the first few days, an obligate siblicide that makes the real breeding rate half the apparent one.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Deciduous and mixed woodland beside wet meadows in eastern Europe; it winters in southern Africa
Sexual maturity: 4 years
Gestation / incubation: 38 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/