How to identify Greater Spotted Eagle?

Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga

Rare and secretive Greater Spotted Eagle usually avoid humans. They can be seen circling above marshland or walking over wet meadows looking for tasty rodents. They breed in wet mature forests away from human settlements and busy roads. For raising their young they places which are peaceful and quiet.

The eagle’s silhouette

A silhouette of an eagle in the sky makes everybody’s heart beat faster. However identifying a Greater Spotted Eagle is not an easy task. You not only need to be willing and passionate about these eagles, but also require some knowledge and experience.

The plumage of most birds of prey is usually grey or brown, depending on the bird’s age.

Some species have significant differences between males and females: females are often larger and their plumage is of different colour.

Greater Spotted Eagle – a bird like no other

Large, dark brown.

Body length: 65 – 72 cm

Wingspan: 155 – 180 cm

Females weight: 1.8 – 2.5 kg

Males weight: 1.6 – 1.9 kg

The easily-recognizable lighter spots only occur in the plumage of young birds. The colour of the adults is a uniform chocolate brown.

The base of their beak (or so-called “cere”) is yellow and the eyes are dark. Its flight silhouette is typical of eagles: broad wings, short tail and bulky head. Usually clearly visible are finger-like wing tips.

What is important when identifying birds of prey?

• Plumage (colours and shapes) of tail, wings (especially their downside) and head
• The silhouette
• The bird’s size
• The way in which it flies

The details are the key to success, especially as some species (eg. Greater Spotted Eagle and Lesser Spotted Eagle) can be very similar.

Greater Spotted Eagle or Lesser Spotted Eagle?
 

                                               Greater Spotted Eagle                         Lesser Spotted Eagle
              (Aquila clanga)                            (Aquila pomarina)

It’s much easier to identify these birds when they are young. A young Greater Spotted Eagle has a dark coloured head and a string of light-cream spots on the feathers covering his wings. A young Lesser Spotted Eagle has a light spot on the back of its head and the light-cream spots on his wing covering feathers are fewer and smaller.

What are birds of prey?

Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh. In most cases, the females are considerably larger than the males. Because of their predatory lifestyle, often at the top of the food chain, they face distinct conservation concerns. Birds of prey are not spread evenly in the world. Most of them live in tropical savannahs and rainforests. Most Polish birds of prey prefer forests growing near open spaces (Kite, Buzzard, Lesser and Greater Spotted Eagles, Hobby and Kestrel). Others prefer forests near water bodies (White Tailed Eagle, Osprey). Harriers’ most typical habitat is open space. Marsh Harrier build their nests in reedbeds while Montague Harrier and Northern Harrier like to nest in marshland, meadows and arable land. Kestrel and Peregrine Falcon have managed to adapt to city lives. Golden Eagle lives in mountains.

In the Biebrza Valley there are 26 species of birds of prey (excluding owls) of which 14 breed here.

Order: Falconiformes

Suborder: Accipiters

Family: Accipitridae

Genus: Pernis

Milvus

           Red Kite

Black Kite

Haliaeetus

Circaetus

Circus

Northern Harrier

Montague’s Harrier

Accipiter

Sparrowhawk

Buteo

Aquila

                                Lesser Spotted Eagle

Greater Spotted Eagle

Golden Eagle

Hieraaetus

Family: Pandionidae

Genus: Pandion

Suborder: Falconidae

Family: Falconidae

Genus: Falco

                             Kestrel

 Hobby

                                                                                                Peregrine Falcon