What does the snake eagle eat? Snake eaters. Number and its trends

The only snake hunter who has not received such a name is the snake eater. And completely in vain! The generic Latin name - “chubby” - only emphasizes the outline of its large and round head, which is unusual for a predator. The English name for this species, “short-fingered eagle,” is an obvious injustice. Although his fingers are slightly shorter than those of other eagles, his most significant feature is not this detail, but his amazing commitment to feeding almost exclusively on snakes. Note that in many European languages ​​this eagle is called very accurately - “snake eater”. The snake-eater is often called an eagle, but in its peaceful appearance there is little eagle-like. It is one and a half times larger in size than a buzzard; very light below, almost white, but with a clearly visible brown stripe across the chest, dark above; the head looks like an owl. There is a dark morph with a large development of streaks below and a completely dark head and chest. Differences in the color of the sexes are almost not pronounced. I remember the huge bright yellow expressive eyes, in which some kind of magical power seems to be present. The paws are not yellow, like those of most predators, but blue (it was not for nothing that zoologists called it the blue-footed karachun about 100 years ago). The voice is a loud “kiii-o, kiii-o.” The snake eagle's habitat area on the map looks impressive: Southern, Western and Central Europe, the southern half of the European part of the USSR, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, the Middle East, Iran, Northern India. However, in our forests the snake eagle is one of the rarest birds of prey. This is not surprising - the places where snakes are found in abundance are becoming fewer and fewer, and this delicate gourmet practically does not accept other food. But in Central Asia, where snakes and other reptiles are still common, snake eaters are more common. If in the forests of the middle zone there are hardly more than three or four pairs of snake eaters per whole area (most likely even less), then in the pistachio groves of Badkhyz in the south of Turkmenistan the same number of pairs lived on an area of ​​10-12 square kilometers. In Europe, the snake eagle is rare everywhere. Only in France is its population higher (about 30 pairs were counted in two departments of the center of the country) and relatively stable (as if to justify its specific Latin name - “French”). The snake eagle is very secretive, cautious, and silent. For nesting, it selects forest areas remote from humans with clearings and swamps, convenient for hunting. The nests are small, no larger than those of a buzzard, loose and somewhat careless; an adult bird simply does not fit in it - both the head is visible and the tail sticks out. There is also no fiction in the lining of the tray - only green twigs and snake scales. In flight, wide wings with feathers arranged at the ends and a rather long tail with transverse dark and light stripes are visible. During the flight, it sometimes “shakes” in place. The sitting bird appears to have a very large gray head, on which light yellow eyes stand out. Finding a snake eagle nest in our forests is good luck for a zoologist. Typically, the nest building looks compact and flat with a nest diameter of up to 90 cm, a tray - 40 and a height of 35 cm. Thin twigs are usually used as building material; The building is lined with green leafy twigs or pine branches on top. Prefers to settle in forests formed by oak, linden, and alder. In the presence of mature pine forests, it gives preference to them. It also readily inhabits the valleys of small rivers with sandy terraces and heavily eroded valleys. The nest building is located in the upper part of the crown or at a considerable distance from the trunk on horizontal side branches, which provides free access to it. In 1957, the snake-eaters made a nest almost at the top of a small pine tree at a height of only about 15 meters, although there were many trees around 8-10 meters higher. In 1976, a nest was also made at the top, but already of a 30-meter pine tree. In deserts on saxaul trees, nests are naturally lower: at a height of 1.5-3.5 meters from the ground. There is only one white egg in the clutch. Both parents incubate it alternately for about 35-48 days; The chick is fed in the nest for a long time, 70-80 days. Young birds leave the nests relatively late - in the last ten days of August - early September. At the end of July - beginning of August, the chick, which was observed in the Oksky Nature Reserve, was already fully fledged and was not inferior in size to its parents, but was lethargic and timid to the point of indecency. Other predators are like predators: even small cubs, seeing a person at the nest, instantly roll over on their backs and use fencing attacks of their clawed paws to keep the enemy at a respectful distance. The young snake eagle, having spotted the observer still 30-50 meters from the nesting tree, somehow became completely wilted, pressed into the tray and became numb for a long time. The observer managed to take refuge in the hut, but the chick was afraid to move for almost an hour and remained indifferent even to the arrival of an adult bird with a delicious viper. Adult birds are equally shy. Having noticed an observer 200-300 meters from the nest, they quietly hid, sometimes without revealing themselves even by a restless cry. The daily routine of the snake eagle depends entirely on the lifestyle of snakes and therefore differs significantly from the daily activity of other birds of prey. Most diurnal bird predators wake up at dawn, begin hunting at 4-5 o’clock in the morning and end at dusk, at 8-9 o’clock in the evening. Cold-blooded (in the literal, not figurative sense of the word) reptiles crawl out of their night shelters only when the air warms up enough. Snakes predominate in the snake eater's diet. Favorite food are copperheads ( Coronella ausriaca), the steppe viper, Nikolsky's viper ( Vipera nikolskii) and patterned runner ( Elaphe dione). Therefore, a chilly, dewy morning does not promise the snake eagle any hunting trophies, and it goes fishing later, around 8-9 in the morning. And it finishes the hunt earlier than other predators - around 5-6 in the afternoon. The earliest arrival of prey by snake eaters in the Oksky Nature Reserve was recorded at 8 hours 14 minutes, the latest - at 17 hours 2 minutes. It turns out that the “working day” of the short-tailed snake eagle (8-9 hours) is almost half as long as that of most diurnal birds of prey (16-17 hours). “A reluctant quitter” is perhaps not entirely fair to say about the snake-eater, but his “labor productivity” is indeed rather low. Therefore, he probably only has one chick: he cannot feed any more with such activity. In the Oksky Nature Reserve, parents brought 3-4 snakes 30-60 centimeters long and weighing from 20 to 90 grams per day to an almost adult chick. The fledgling's total daily diet averaged 120-150 grams, i.e., only 8-10% of its own weight at this age. During the feeding period, parents bring 240-270 snakes to the chick. In deserts, where there are undoubtedly more snakes, adult birds provide the chicks with approximately the same amount of food - 4-7 snakes per day, mainly shooters and snakes. It was noticed that in the heat the activity of the snake eagle drops sharply: at temperatures above 40 ° C, the parents brought 1-2 snakes to the chick daily, with almost half of the prey being poisonous vipers, and the rest being snakes. Our supervised chick did not receive any other animals, not even lizards, from his parents. In Central Asia and some other areas, lizards and occasionally frogs, mouse-like rodents, and chicks were noted as the prey of snake eaters. However, wherever these birds were observed - in Meshchera and Khopra, in Turkmenistan and the Aral Sea region, Tajikistan and Crimea, in Hungary and France - they regularly confirmed their reputation by catching snakes more often than other animals. To catch snakes, especially poisonous ones, you need skill. An unsuccessful attack can end in disaster for the hunter. However, not all experts believe that the snake-eater always dies from the bite of a poisonous snake, but even in experiments with a successful outcome, snake-eaters bitten by vipers limped and remained in a painful state for a long time. Having noticed a snake, the predator hangs in the air for several moments, fluttering its wings, and sharply falls down. At this moment, his movements are calculated with an accuracy of up to a millimeter, up to a fraction of a second. If he manages to grab a snake by the head or neck, he will be with lunch; if he misses a little, he may receive a lethal dose of snake venom. That’s the kind of hunt he has: “it’s either pan or bust.” The predator swallows a caught snake from the head, but not entirely, so the snake eagle flying with prey usually has a snake tail hanging from its beak. Only once did we see one of the parents bring a snake in its paws. The procedure for feeding a chick is extremely complex. First, the chick grabs the snake by the tail and begins to pull it out of the parent's throat. For an adult bird, this operation is hardly pleasant, especially since the snake scales are directed backwards. Sometimes this stretching lasts 5-10 minutes or more, depending on the size of the snake. Having finally pulled the prey out of the parents’ mouth, the chick begins to swallow it itself, and also always from the head (by mistake, starting from the tail, it immediately spits it out). It takes a long time to swallow a long snake - up to half an hour or more. Twice we had the opportunity to see how the snake-eater brought a snake and a viper into the nest while still alive. The snake, pulled out of its throat, began to move, and it was not easy for an inexperienced chick to grab it by the head. An interesting detail in this regard (possibly accidental): the live viper was immediately grabbed by the head by the paw of an adult bird sitting on the nest, while the chick was given the opportunity to cope with the wriggling snake. The extreme rarity of the snake eagle precludes any discussion of its practical significance. It is listed in the Red Book of the USSR - and that says it all. Subspecies and varying characters. In northern Africa and Europe, in the Caucasus, in Asia Minor, in the West. Siberia, probably Iran S. f. ferox Gmelin, 1771; in Central Asia and northern Mongolia S. f. heptneri Dement., 1932; in Africa from Senegambia to Kordofan, south to Cameroon S. f. beaudouini Verreaux et de Murs, 1862; in southern and eastern Africa from the White Nile to Damara Land, Rhodesia, Transvaal and Cripple Land S. f. pectoralis Smith, 1830. Variable characters - size (tropical beaudouini the smallest; South African pectoralis and southern European ferox approximately similar; Central Asian heptneri largest) and coloration, mainly on the ventral side of the body. Ecological manifestations of geographic variability have not been studied, but feroh And heptneri migratory, the rest sedentary. Literature: 1. Galushin V. M. Birds of prey of the forest, - M.: Lesnaya prom-st, 1980 2. Birds of the north of the Lower Volga region. Saratov University, 2005 Authors: E.V. Zavyalov, G.V. Shlyakhtin, V.G. Tabachishin, N.N. Yakushev, I.A. Khrustov, E.Yu. Mosolova 3. Birds of the Soviet Union, vol. 1. - M.: Sov. the science. 1951.
Family:	Accipitridae
Subfamily:	Snake eaters
Genus:	Real snake eaters
View:	Snake eater
Latin name
Circaetus gallicus (Gmelin, )
Area
Nesting sites All year round Wintering places

Security status : Incorrect or missing image Least Concern IUCN 3.1 Least Concern:

Snake eater, or common snake eagle , serpent eagle or kračun (Circaetus gallicus or Circaetus ferox listen)) - a bird of prey of the accipitridae family, order Falconiformes, subfamily darters.

Description

A very rare endangered bird species, listed in the Red Book of Russia and the Red Book of Belarus.

One of the most timid and distrustful of feathered predators towards humans.

The total length is 67-72 cm, the wingspan is 160-190 cm, the wing length is 52-60 cm. Females are larger than males, but are colored the same as them. The color of the dorsal side of the bird is grayish-brown; young birds are similar in color to adults.

Inhabits the zone of mixed forests and forest-steppe. They nest in North-West Africa, South and partly Central Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Central Asia and Kazakhstan, South-West Siberia, northern Mongolia, south to Pakistan and India.

Nesting

In the northern parts of the breeding area (Russia, Central Europe) a migratory bird. In the north it inhabits forests, in the south - dry areas, at least with individual trees. In Russia, it reliably or presumably nests in the Bashkir, Bryansk forest, Kabardino-Balkarian, Caucasian, Kaluga zaseki, Mordovian, Oksky, Khopersky and some other reserves and sanctuaries.

The snake eagle is very secretive, cautious, and silent. For nesting, it selects forest areas remote from humans with clearings and swamps, convenient for hunting. The nests are small, no larger than those of a buzzard, loose and somewhat careless; an adult bird simply does not fit in it - both the head is visible and the tail sticks out. There is also no fiction in the lining of the tray - only green twigs and snake scales.

It nests high off the ground on isolated trees or on forest edges (occasionally on rocks). Nests are small buildings; birds build them themselves and use them for several years. There is usually one white egg in a clutch (in exceptional cases, up to 2 eggs, but in the second egg the embryo always dies, because its incubation stops after the chick hatches from the first egg). Both parents incubate the eggs for about 40 days. The chicks begin to fly on the 70-80th day of life.

The serpent eater feeds its chicks mainly with snakes, although adult birds often feed on other reptiles, amphibians, small animals and field birds. Stenophagy sharply narrows the nesting area of ​​the snake eagle.

Feeding the chicks

The procedure for feeding a chick is extremely complex. First, the chick grabs the snake by the tail and begins to pull it out of the parent's throat. For an adult bird, this operation is hardly pleasant, especially since the snake scales are directed backwards. Sometimes this stretching lasts 5-10 minutes or more, depending on the size of the snake. Having finally pulled the prey out of the parents’ mouth, the chick begins to swallow it itself, and also always from the head (by mistake, starting from the tail, it immediately spits it out). It takes a long time to swallow a long snake - up to half an hour or more. Twice we had the opportunity to see how the snake-eater brought a snake and a viper into the nest while still alive. The snake pulled out of the throat began to move, and it was not easy for an inexperienced chick to grab it by the head. An interesting detail in this regard (possibly accidental): the live viper was immediately grabbed by the head by the paw of an adult bird sitting on the nest, while the chick was given the opportunity to cope with the wriggling snake.

Galushin, V. M. - Birds of Prey of the Forest (M., 1990)

Gallery

Circaetus pectoralis.jpg

Circaetus gallicus 01.JPG

Short-toed eagle.jpg

Short-toed Eagle with rat.jpg

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Notes

Literature

• Galushin, V. M. - Birds of Prey of the Forest (M., 1990)

An excerpt characterizing the Snake Eater

Prince Andrei did not have time to answer him. The servants came out to meet him, and he asked about where the old prince was and whether they were expecting him soon.
The old prince was still in the city, and they were waiting for him every minute.
Prince Andrei led Pierre to his half, which was always waiting for him in perfect order in his father’s house, and he himself went to the nursery.
“Let’s go to my sister,” said Prince Andrei, returning to Pierre; - I haven’t seen her yet, she is now hiding and sitting with her God’s people. Serves her right, she will be embarrassed, and you will see God's people. C "est curieux, ma parole. [This is interesting, honestly.]
– Qu"est ce que c"est que [What are] God's people? - asked Pierre
- But you'll see.
Princess Marya was really embarrassed and turned red in spots when they came to her. In her cozy room with lamps in front of icon cases, on the sofa, at the samovar, sat next to her a young boy with a long nose and long hair, and in a monastic robe.
On a chair nearby sat a wrinkled, thin old woman with a meek expression on her childish face.
“Andre, pourquoi ne pas m"avoir prevenu? [Andrei, why didn’t you warn me?],” she said with meek reproach, standing in front of her wanderers, like a hen in front of her chickens.
– Charmee de vous voir. Je suis tres contente de vous voir, [Very glad to see you. “I’m so pleased that I see you,” she said to Pierre, while he kissed her hand. She knew him as a child, and now his friendship with Andrei, his misfortune with his wife, and most importantly, his kind, simple face endeared her to him. She looked at him with her beautiful, radiant eyes and seemed to say: “I love you very much, but please don’t laugh at mine.” After exchanging the first phrases of greeting, they sat down.
“Oh, and Ivanushka is here,” said Prince Andrei, pointing with a smile at the young wanderer.
– Andre! - Princess Marya said pleadingly.
“Il faut que vous sachiez que c"est une femme, [Know that this is a woman," Andrei said to Pierre.
– Andre, au nom de Dieu! [Andrey, for God’s sake!] – repeated Princess Marya.
It was clear that Prince Andrei’s mocking attitude towards the wanderers and Princess Mary’s useless intercession on their behalf were familiar, established relationships between them.
“Mais, ma bonne amie,” said Prince Andrei, “vous devriez au contraire m"etre reconaissante de ce que j"explique a Pierre votre intimate avec ce jeune homme... [But, my friend, you should be grateful to me that I explain to Pierre your closeness to this young man.]
- Vraiment? [Really?] - Pierre said curiously and seriously (for which Princess Marya was especially grateful to him) peering through his glasses into the face of Ivanushka, who, realizing that they were talking about him, looked at everyone with cunning eyes.
Princess Marya was completely in vain to be embarrassed for her own people. They were not at all timid. The old woman, with her eyes downcast but looking sideways at those who entered, had turned the cup upside down onto a saucer and placed a bitten piece of sugar next to it, sat calmly and motionless in her chair, waiting to be offered more tea. Ivanushka, drinking from a saucer, looked at the young people from under his brows with sly, feminine eyes.
– Where, in Kyiv, were you? – Prince Andrey asked the old woman.
“It was, father,” the old woman answered loquaciously, “on Christmas itself, I was honored with the saints to communicate the holy, heavenly secrets.” And now from Kolyazin, father, great grace has opened...
- Well, Ivanushka is with you?
“I’m going on my own, breadwinner,” Ivanushka said, trying to speak in a deep voice. - Only in Yukhnov did Pelageyushka and I get along...
Pelagia interrupted her comrade; She obviously wanted to tell what she saw.
- In Kolyazin, father, great grace was revealed.
- Well, are the relics new? - asked Prince Andrei.
“That’s enough, Andrey,” said Princess Marya. - Don’t tell me, Pelageyushka.
“No...what are you saying, mother, why not tell me?” I love him. He is kind, favored by God, he, a benefactor, gave me rubles, I remember. How I was in Kyiv and the holy fool Kiryusha told me - a truly man of God, he walks barefoot winter and summer. Why are you walking, he says, not in your place, go to Kolyazin, there is a miraculous icon, the Mother of the Most Holy Theotokos has been revealed. From those words I said goodbye to the saints and went...
Everyone was silent, one wanderer spoke in a measured voice, drawing in air.
“My father, the people came and said to me: great grace has been revealed, the Mother of the Most Holy Theotokos is dripping myrrh from her cheek...
“Okay, okay, you’ll tell me later,” said Princess Marya, blushing.
“Let me ask her,” said Pierre. -Have you seen it yourself? - he asked.
- Why, father, you yourself have been honored. There is such a radiance on the face, like heavenly light, and from my mother’s cheek it keeps dripping and dripping...
“But this is a deception,” said Pierre naively, who listened attentively to the wanderer.
- Oh, father, what are you saying! - Pelageyushka said with horror, turning to Princess Marya for protection.
“They are deceiving the people,” he repeated.
- Lord Jesus Christ! – the wanderer said, crossing herself. - Oh, don't tell me, father. So one anaral did not believe it, he said: “the monks are deceiving,” and as he said, he became blind. And he dreamed that Mother of Pechersk came to him and said: “Trust me, I will heal you.” So he began to ask: take me and take me to her. I’m telling you the real truth, I saw it myself. They brought him blind straight to her, he came up, fell, and said: “Heal! “I will give you,” he says, “what the king gave you.” I saw it myself, father, the star was embedded in it. Well, I have received my sight! It's a sin to say that. “God will punish,” she instructively addressed Pierre.

The snake eagle is a bird of prey of the hawk family.

The name of this predator indicates that it eats snakes.

In fact, the diet of the snake-eater is more extensive - it also feeds on lizards, amphibians, and small mammals (rodents).

This bird is known by various names:

• The serpent eagle is not a completely correct name, since the serpent eagle is not an eagle: the subfamily of serpent eagle is sister to the subfamily of eagles;
• “Short-fingered eagle” is a name adopted by the British; Krachun is a popular name used to designate some other birds of prey.

Habitat

Snake eaters live in Africa, Southern and Central Europe, Asia Minor and Central Asia, the Middle East, Mongolia and India, throughout Russia - including Siberia. In the northern regions they live in forests, in the southern they inhabit dry places where there are at least a few trees - they need them to build a nest.

Appearance

The snake eagle is a fairly large bird, the body length of which can exceed 70 centimeters. The wingspan of the snake eagle is impressive - almost up to two meters. The plumage is grayish-brown in the upper part and lighter in the lower part (abdomen). Males and females are colored the same, but females are larger than males.

snake eagle this is my booty photo

The head of the snake eagle is very round, which determined the Latin species name (translated as “round-faced”). The eyes, like those of other birds of prey, are directed forward, not to the sides.

Lifestyle

The behavior and lifestyle of the snake eagle have not been sufficiently studied, despite the widespread distribution of these birds. Nevertheless, snake-eaters have now become quite rare birds and in a number of places, including Russia, are listed in the Red Book. And yet we managed to find out something.

To many, these unusual birds seem to be harsh hunters, real fighters of snakes and other living creatures. In reality, snake eaters are very shy birds. They lead a very secretive life and fly away as soon as they see a person or other potential enemy.

snake eagle with prey photo

There is something else that is astonishing. Grown-up chicks of other birds of prey actively defend themselves with their beaks and claws and pounce on the enemy; But the snake-eater chicks don’t do this at all - in case of danger, they simply hide, trying not to move.

In relation to each other, snake eaters are sociable and playful; It is often possible to observe how the male and female frolic merrily, chasing each other.

Reproduction

Snake eaters make nests high in trees, where potential enemies cannot reach them. The nest is quite strong, although careless, and the family has been using it for several years. At the same time, it is small - an adult bird does not fit in it; the inside is lined with grass and, of course, snake scales.

There is only one white egg in the clutch, sometimes two are found, but the second embryo dies because the female and male stop incubating the clutch as soon as the first chick hatches. The cubs appear after forty days.

Their parents feed them mainly with snakes. Due to this feeding regime, the range of snake eaters is limited. Feeding the chicks of snake eaters is an extremely complex process. An adult bird brings a wriggling, still living snake in its beak, after which the chick pulls it from its mother’s mouth by the tail.

Arol-vuzhaed (previously - Snake-eater)

The entire territory of Belarus

Accipitridae family - Accipitridae

In Belarus - C. g. gallicus (the subspecies inhabits the entire European part of the species' range).

Rare breeding migratory species. Its distribution throughout the republic is extremely uneven: most nests are found in the Polesie and Poozerie regions. In the Belarusian Lake District, the snake eagle is a rare species found throughout the territory. In Belarus, the snake eagle is currently a common species in the southern and southeastern parts of the republic; it is less common in the northern part.

Absent or extremely small in number in the western part of the country, as well as in densely populated hilly areas in the south of Grodno, in the center and in the north of Minsk and Mogilev regions. It is found throughout the territory where forest and swamp ecosystems are preserved.

A fairly large bird (the size of a spotted eagle), the plumage is brown on top, the underside is light with brown spots, the neck and chest are brown. The tail has 2-3 dark transverse stripes. The flying bird has relatively wide wings and a large head. The beak and claws are black, the wax and legs are bluish-gray. Male weight 1.4-1.65 kg, female 1.6-1.8 kg. Body length (both sexes) 62-75 cm, wingspan 160-180 cm.

The snake eagle is found in places with an abundance of snakes and vipers, in rugged landscapes with alternating areas of forest and open areas, often in raised bogs. Hunts mainly in areas free from dense forest. It is very careful, but in the area of ​​the nest they regularly emit a variety of calls, most often the ringing “mew-ok”. Despite its large size, the snake eagle is a very secretive bird and is often observed during hunting either in large raised swamps or in various open areas inside the forest. The maximum distance between a snake eagle and its nest recorded in Poozerie is 6 km. For Belovezhskaya Pushcha – 13 km.

In spring it arrives at the end of March - beginning of April. Regardless of the timing of the appearance of the first birds, the mass arrival in the south of the country takes place from April 5 to April 15.

During the nesting period, it adheres to remote, inaccessible areas of old tall-trunk forests, both deciduous and coniferous. It gravitates towards places where forests are interspersed with open spaces - swamps, river valleys, clearings, clearings and old clearings. Willingly (especially in the northern part of the republic) settles among the vast raised bogs on dry ridges protruding into them, overgrown with larger-trunked forest (mainly pine).

Immediately upon arrival, the birds renovate the old nest or build a new one, at the same time performing mating games, which have been observed since mid-April. Mocked birds went from hovering in wide circles in the area of ​​the nest to active straight flight with sharp throws from wing to wing and unexpected turns. Sometimes the bird demonstrates “garland flight”, hovering at the highest points of the arcs and holding its body almost vertically, often flapping its wings. During mating games, birds rarely produce a voice that vaguely resembles the cry of a buzzard, only it is more melodic and not so viscous.

It nests in separate pairs, which are located at a distance of tens of kilometers.

The architecture of the snake eagle's nests is very specific and differs from the nests of other birds of prey. It should be especially noted that snake eagle nests are among the most difficult to find. The nest is built in trees (most often on pine, less often on spruce, oak), near the trunk or on lateral branches in the upper part of the crown at a high altitude (12-20 m or more). It nests even lower (up to 6 m) on low-growing pines growing in high bogs. Often the so-called witch’s broom can serve as a support for the nest. The “classic” nest is located at the very top of a pine tree, which has a bowl-shaped apical whorl. The nest is completely open from above, but closed from the sides, since the branches of the nesting tree rise 30–50 cm above the edges of the nest, camouflaging it very well, and often the nest is very difficult to notice from the ground. Due to the shortage of trees with a convenient flattened crown for building a nest, birds choose trees with a shrunken top and build the nest on the first living lateral branches near the trunk itself or at some distance from it. In the south of the forest and forest-steppe zones, where birds nest in old pine forests, snake eagle nests are built in the lateral part of the crown at the ends of thick branches, often on “devil’s brooms.” All nests not located on the top are oriented south or southeast.

For Western Europe, information is provided that the snake eagle occupies old nests of predators and corvids.

In the Belarusian Poozerie, all nests, without exception, were built on pine trees by the snake-eaters themselves; this bird did not occupy the nests of other species, but nesting of buzzard and merlin was noted in its unoccupied nests. A characteristic feature of most types of nests is that almost throughout the day, not excluding the hottest hours, they are illuminated by direct sunlight. The specific characteristic of snake eagle nests is their small size and location, with rare exceptions, at the top of a tree. There is information about the construction of nests by the snake eagle in the forest zone very low - at a height of 2 m and even on the ground, on a hummock among three young alders.

The nest is a rather loose structure made of thick (up to 30 mm in diameter) branches. Its dimensions are often small, so that the head and part of the chest and tail are visible on the incubating bird. A shallow tray is lined with green tree branches or pine legs. Nest height 35-110 cm, diameter 50-130 cm; The depth of the tray is 13-21 cm, the diameter is 28-50 cm. Snake eaters are very attached to the nesting site and can occupy it for decades. There are even cases of nesting in one nest for three years in a row. Pairs have from one to seven nests. The distance between the nests of one pair is from 30 m to 1.5 km. In the nest area (no further than 50 m), each pair has from one to four perches, which are dead or spreading pines and spruce trees with branches convenient for perching. Molted feathers and pellets accumulate under them. Another interesting feature is that the nests found under construction were built during the incubation period in May, and, apparently, were built by the male. Moreover, all these new nests turned out to be occupied the following year.

There is always only one white egg in a clutch. The shell is coarse-grained, and in freshly laid eggs it is matte, in hatched eggs it has a slight shine, and when exposed to light it is dull yellow. Egg weight 143 g, length 65 mm (max. 76 mm), diameter 54 mm (max. 62 mm).

Nesting begins in May; In the first or second decades of this month, clutches appear; egg laying in Polesie begins in mid-April. Incubation lasts 35-36, in the conditions of the Belarusian Lake District 46-48 days. It is mainly the female who incubates. The chicks hatch in early June. By the end of June, the chicks are already in their second downy plumage, mantle feathers begin to appear, and the flight tubes open. At this time, the chick’s eyes are light yellow, the beak is light bluish, the paws are light, and the claws are black. By the end of the first ten days of July, the darter chicks are already half-feathered, but still sitting on their heels. The flight of the chicks has not been accurately traced; they leave the nest at the age of 50–56, according to other sources, about 70 days. Adult birds carry food - snakes - into the nest in their beaks, sometimes partially swallowed. They feed the young until the autumn migration. In Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the snake eagle feeds its chick with vipers and spindles (80%), lizards, snakes and frogs (15%), and rarely (5%) with mouse-like rodents.

Adult birds behave very carefully during the breeding season. When approaching the nest in the early stages of incubation, they immediately fly off (30–50 meters away) or disappear from view, or fly in circles at a distance of 100–200 m from the nest, occasionally vocalizing. In the last stage of incubation, the female snake eagle incubates tightly, lets her close and sometimes does not immediately fly off even after hitting a tree.

Departure and migration occur at the end of August – September, sometimes later.

The main method of hunting is flying at low altitude and looking out for prey from the air, followed by stops when the bird, like a kestrel, “shakes” over one place. Occasionally, the snake eagle is observed on the ground. Sometimes it hunts, waiting for prey, as if in ambush, sitting motionless on telegraph poles, haystacks, trees growing along abandoned forest roads, clearings, at the edges of swamps, meadows and forest edges.

The snake eagle is a stenophagous predator, the basis of its prey are reptiles, in our conditions primarily snakes and vipers. Also catches lizards. He grabs the snakes with his paw right at the head (as a result, the reptiles are deprived of the ability to bite), bites their spine in many places, and then swallows them. During prolonged cold weather, when reptiles are not active, the snake eagle is forced to eat frogs, hedgehogs and other small animals. Occasionally it picks up snakes and lizards killed by cars from the road surface. Sometimes in the nests of snake eaters they found still alive snakes, paralyzed by a beak bite in the neck area, but never live vipers. Obviously, the paralyzed snakes played the role of living “canned food”.

Minimum distance between centers of nesting sites

two neighboring pairs is 6 km. Sometimes you can see how a pair of snake eagle (male and female) drives away a representative of another pair from their nesting territory.

The snake eagle is tolerant of the proximity of other birds of prey. A residential nest of an osprey was found 700 m from the snake eagle nests, a nest of a black stork was found 1.6 km away, nests of a golden eagle and a hen harrier were found about a kilometer away, a sparrowhawk was found 300 m away, and a buzzard was found 350 m away. One snake eagle nest was located in the very center of a large capercaillie current. In Estonia, a snake eagle was once observed fighting over a nest with a black stork; a clash between a snake eagle and a greater spotted eagle was noted.

In the middle of the last century, it was widespread in Belarus; encounters with birds in the summer were known throughout the republic.

As of the beginning of 1996, the number in Belarus was estimated at 450–650 pairs, currently – 530–700 pairs. In the Belarusian Lake District the number is stable and is estimated at 60–80 pairs. The number fluctuates over the years, with a generally positive trend. To the south, in Belarusian Polesie, the number of the snake eagle is increasing.

For the period from 1989 to 2002, the breeding success of snake eagle in Poozerie was 87.8%, and productivity was 0.87 chicks per pair.

The main threat factors are the development of raised bogs (the main hunting biotope), as well as logging, fires in raised and transitional swamps, poaching, and human disturbance of birds during nesting.

Literature

1. Grichik V.V., Burko L.D. "Fauna of Belarus. Vertebrates: textbook" Minsk, 2013. -399 p.

2. Ivanovsky V.V. "Birds of Prey of the Belarusian Lake District: monograph." Vitebsk, 2012. -209 p.

3. Nikiforov M.E., Yaminsky B.V., Shklyarov L.P. "Birds of Belarus: A guide to nests and eggs" Minsk, 1989. -479 p.

4. Gaiduk V. E., Abramova I. V. "Ecology of birds in the southwest of Belarus. Non-passerines: monograph." Brest, 2009. -300s.

5. Dombrovski V. Ch., Ivanovski V. V. "New data on numbers and distribution of birds of prey breeding in Belarus" / Acta Zoologica Lituanica. 2005 – Vol. 15(3). P.218–227.

6. Ivanovsky V.V. “Current state of birds of prey (Falconiformes) of the Belarusian Lake District” / Current problems of zoological science in Belarus: Collection of articles of the XI Zoological International Scientific and Practical Conference dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the founding of the State Scientific and Production Association “Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Bioresources”, Belarus , Minsk. T. 1, 2017. pp. 173-179

7. Dombrovsky V. Ch., Ivanovsky V. V. “Peregrine Falcon” / Red Book of the Republic of Belarus. Animals: rare and endangered species of wild animals. 4th ed. Minsk, 2015. P.59-60

The snake eagle is often called an eagle, but in appearance these birds bear little resemblance. The snake eagle is a large predator with a body length of about 70 cm, a wingspan of 170 to 190 cm, and the weight of adult individuals reaches 2 kg. Females, as a rule, are slightly larger in size than males, but do not differ from the latter in plumage color. The snake eagle's back is gray-brown in color. The throat is brown. The belly is white with numerous dark streaks. Dark stripes are visible along the wings and tail. Juveniles are darker in color than adult birds.

The diet of snake eaters is highly specialized. The bird's diet is limited to vipers, grass snakes, copperheads and snakes, as well as other species of snakes, which is how the species got its name. Occasionally, the snake eagle can eat lizards.

In winter, snakes are in a state of suspended animation and do not move. Therefore, the snake eagle begins to hunt in late spring, when the ground warms up and the snakes begin to crawl out. Most often, the predator hunts from noon until nightfall, that is, during the period when snakes are most active.

The snake eagle is known as the “king of flights”: in search of prey, the bird spends a lot of time in the air. Since the species has excellent eyesight, birds notice their victims at high altitudes. Having noticed a snake, the snake eagle hovers in the air and then falls sharply down. During such an attack, the bird's speed reaches 100 km/h. Approaching the snake, the crachun grabs it by the head and finishes it off with its beak. Very often the bird and its prey engage in a fierce fight. Having swallowed the snake, the crachun flies away. Birds rarely chase snakes on the surface of the earth.

The most common prey of the snake eagle is the snake, but sometimes the predator also attacks poisonous snakes, for example, viper, viper or copperhead. Therefore, the bird always moves very clearly and quickly to avoid a fatal bite. The snake eagle is also protected by horny scutes on its legs and its speed of reaction. If, nevertheless, a snake happens to bite a bird, this does not always end in its death. But in such cases, the snake eagle begins to get sick and recovers very slowly.

Bird distribution

The habitat of snake eaters includes southeastern and eastern Europe, North Africa, as well as warm regions of Asia. Some species are common in India, Indonesia, and southern China.

Today, there is a widespread decline in the population of snake eaters. This is due to a decrease in the populations of snakes that birds feed on, their destruction by people, as well as a reduction in suitable habitats for them.

Crachuns usually live in wooded areas in the north, in dry forest-steppe in the south, and occasionally nest on the slopes of rocks. Birds settle in oak, linden, alder or pine forests. Nests are built high from the ground, and at a great distance from tree trunks to ensure free access.

Common species of snake eagle

The body length of the bird is from 67 to 72 cm, the wingspan is 160-190 cm. Females are larger in size than males, but are colored the same. The back is grayish-brown, the neck and belly are light. The head is round, the iris is bright yellow. The tail is decorated with 3-4 dark transverse stripes. Young birds are no different from adults.

The species is distributed in the south and center of Europe, northwest Africa, the Caucasus, Asia, Siberia, Mongolia, and as far south as Pakistan and India. Northern populations are migratory. The common snake eagle lives in mixed forests and forest-steppes.

Body length from 63 to 68 cm, wingspan up to 178 cm, weight from 1.2 to 2.3 kg. The head and chest are dark brown, almost black, the belly and the inside of the wings are light. The iris is bright yellow.

It lives in Africa from Ethiopia and Sudan south to Angola, in semi-arid and desert regions with solitary trees.

The wingspan is about 170 cm. The back, head and chest are gray-brown, the belly is light with small brown stripes. The iris is bright yellow. The paws are long and light gray.

The species' habitat is North Africa (Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Gambia, Burkina Faso, southern Mali, northern Nigeria and Cameroon, southern Chad and Sudan). The bird lives in savannas, woodlands and cultural landscapes.

Brown snake eagle (Circaetus cinereus)

The largest snake eagle. Body length from 68 to 75 cm, wingspan up to 164 cm, weight from 1.5 to 2.5 kg. The top of the bird is dark brown, the wings are gray on the inside, the tail is brown with narrow transverse light stripes. The legs are long, pale gray, the iris is yellow, the beak is black. Young birds are slightly lighter in color.

The brown snake eagle is a resident of the arid regions of Africa (Mauritania, Senegal, Sudan, Ethiopia, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, South Africa), where the bird lives in wooded areas.

Body length is from 55 to 60 cm. The back and chest are dark brown, the head is gray-brown, there are white stripes on the tummy, the tail is long with three white stripes.

The species lives in eastern Africa (Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa). For life, the bird chooses subtropical and tropical moist dense forests.

Body length is from 50 to 58 cm, wingspan is 120-134 cm, weight up to 1.1 kg. The plumage is grayish-brown with white stripes on the belly and thighs. The tail is black with one transverse white stripe and a light tip. The beak is orange-yellow at the base, the iris and legs are yellow.

Its habitat includes African countries such as Senegal, Gambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Angola and Zimbabwe. The bird lives in forests, on the edges, in savannas, often near rivers, at altitudes up to 2000 m above sea level.

A stocky bird with rounded wings and a short tail. Body length from 41 to 76 cm, weight from 420 to 1800 g, wingspan up to 155 cm. The plumage, depending on the region of habitat, is black, brown, ocher, gray; a black and white crest is developed on the head, which puffs up when excited . The belly is streaked with black and white. Wings and tail are striped. The iris, cere and paws are yellow, the beak is dark.

It lives in southeast Asia from the Himalayas in Nepal and northern India to Sri Lanka and southeast China and Vietnam. Sedentary appearance. Lives in tropical forests, savannas, near rivers and human habitation.

The body length is from 51 to 59 cm, the wingspan is 115-135 cm. The plumage is dark brown, the breast, abdomen and upper part of the wings are finely speckled with white, the face and paws are bright yellow. There is a comb on the head.

The species is found on the Andaman Islands of the Indian Ocean, located east of the Hindustan Peninsula. For life it chooses subtropical and tropical mangrove and humid forests at altitudes up to 700 m above sea level.

Inhabitant of the evergreen forests of Great Nicobar Island in the Bay of Bengal. Outwardly it resembles a crested snake eagle.

The bird's body length is from 51 to 56 cm. It differs from the crested snake eagle in its dark plumage.

It lives in the north of the island of Kalimantan in mountain tropical forests at altitudes from 1000 to 4000 m above sea level.

Externally similar to the crested snake eagle. Habitat: Indonesia, Sulawesi island, where the bird lives in subtropical and tropical rainforests.

The body length is from 47 to 53 cm, the wingspan is 105-120 cm. The plumage is dark brown, with gray cheeks and neck, the head is decorated with a black crest. There are numerous small white spots on the chest and belly. The iris, cere and paws are yellow, the beak is dark.

The species is found on all Philippine islands except Palawan. Lives in coastal and mountain forests, on forest edges, open meadows and plantations, at altitudes from 1500 to 2500 m above sea level.

The largest bird of prey in Madagascar with a body length of 57 to 66 cm, a weight of 0.9 to 1 kg, with a long tail and short wings. The head is decorated with a crest. The plumage is brownish-gray with dense transverse stripes and a striped belly. The back and wings on top are dark brown with red streaks, the inside of the wings and belly are white with brown stripes. The eyes are yellow. The beak is sharp, curved.

The species is found in tropical moist deciduous forests in the east of the island of Madagascar, at altitudes up to 550 m above sea level.

A medium-sized slender bird with rounded wings and tail. Body length from 54 to 60 cm, wingspan up to 106 cm. The plumage is dark brown, there is a black-brownish crest on the head, the breast, belly and thighs are white with dark spots, the undertail is white, the tail is light brown with black transverse stripes . Legs are yellow. Females are larger than males.

The species' habitat includes countries such as Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Sudan, Uganda, Congo, Gabon. An isolated population lives in Northern Angola. The birds live in dense tropical forests at altitudes up to 900 m above sea level. Sedentary appearance.

Sexual dimorphism in snake eaters is manifested in the fact that the females of most species are larger in size than the males. The plumage color of females and males, as well as young individuals, is the same.

Migratory populations return to their breeding grounds in May. Darter eaters are monogamous birds. They build a new nest or use an old one.

The krachun's nest is small, flat, up to 95 cm in diameter, and up to 40 cm in height. It is difficult for an adult bird to fit in it. The snake eagle builds a nest from thin branches, lining the inside with green twigs, pine branches, grass, leaves, and scraps of snake skins. The greenery in the nest serves as additional camouflage and protects it from the sun.

The snake eagle is a very secretive and timid bird. When she sees a person, she immediately flies away from the nest. Even chicks hide when strangers approach and make no attempt to defend themselves.

Mating games consist of the female and the male chasing each other, flying up, circling in the air and dropping sharply to the ground.

Egg laying occurs at the end of May. Typically, the female lays two white eggs. But only one chick is born. The incubation period is from 40 to 45 days. The female incubates the eggs while the male feeds her.

The chick is born covered with white down. The parents feed it with snakes, which the chick pulls out of their throats. Then the chick swallows the snake, starting from the head. If the baby makes a mistake and starts eating the snake from the tail, the parents force him to spit it out and start over. In addition, parents often bring a still-living snake to the chick so that it can learn how to fight its future prey. In total, the male and female feed the chick up to 250 snakes.

At two months, young snake-eaters can already fly, and at the age of 80 days they leave the nest.

The lifespan of the snake eagle reaches 10 years.

Voice of the snake eagle

Krachun is a gloomy, silent bird; its quiet voice can only be heard during the nesting period.

• Snake eaters are a rare, endangered bird species; they are listed in the Red Book of Russia and Belarus.
• Snake eaters feed only on snakes; this phenomenon of highly specialized feeding is called stenophagy and is very rare among birds. During its entire life, the snake eagle eats up to 1000 snakes.

 

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