Many peoples consider the eagle the most powerful bird. According to legends and myths, he is compared to a deity. It was believed that if an eagle flies over an army, then these warriors will definitely win the battle. In Syria, the eagle was depicted with human hands, and it was believed that it was able to guide the souls of the dead to the other world.

There was also a tradition according to which the corpse of the deceased was given to the bird to be eaten. The ancients believed that the soul of the deceased is in the liver, and at the moment when the eagle pecks it, the soul passes into the bird and continues to live. The eagle is a symbol of wisdom, insight and courage. You can verify this by looking at eagle bird photo.

Features and habitat of the eagle

Eagles have a massive build, large and wide wings. The birds have large beaks and strong legs with rounded claws. They fly very high, tracking down prey with ease thanks to their vision. In general, not even due to vision, but due to the fact that the bird has a very developed neck. But the sense of smell is very poor.

Females are always slightly larger than males. Almost all eagles are very large, up to 6 kg. They live in steppes, forests and mountains - depending on the species. They prefer to settle in temperate and subtropical zones. Seven out of thirty live in Russia. Eagle is a proud bird- everyone says this, and the bird owes this to its way of life. Birds do not nest in crowded places.

Types of Eagles

They can live both in the steppes and be mountain birds living in the mountains. Berkut is the most big bird eagle, weight reaches 6 kg. The wingspan of these birds reaches three meters. Thanks to its wings, the bird can easily soar in the skies for hours, and when it sees a prey, it dives sharply in its direction.

In the photo there is a golden eagle bird

The color is dark brown, the beak is a typical shape for eagles. This species has the longest tail of any bird. The cry of the golden eagle is typical for all species of the family. They hunt during daylight hours, feeding on squirrels, martens and birds. Golden eagles can be found in Africa, America and Eurasia. They live in almost all areas, including savannas and mountains.

They nest on hills (trees and rocks), nests are located at a distance from each other, because they have extensive hunting areas. Females lay no more than two eggs, but both parents are involved in feeding the chicks.

The smallest of this bird species is the pygmy eagle. This bird is characterized by migration, preferring Asia, Africa and southern Russia. It is interesting that females are larger in size than males. There are no more differences in their description.

Pictured is a dwarf eagle

Description of the eagle bird dwarf: – stocky body; – the lower part of the body and tail have white plumage; – flight wings are black; – paws are yellow, with black claws; – eagle bird beak dwarf small, strongly curved.

Steppe eagle bird beautiful and majestic. There are similarities with the golden eagle, but it is slightly smaller in size. This bird loves open space, which is why it lives in fields and steppes, and hunts there. – The color is dark brown; – with a reddish occipital spot; – beak almost black; – paws are bright yellow; They live in Asia.

Pictured is a steppe eagle

Large bird of prey eagle burial ground The bird can live both in the south and in the north (migratory). The body color is dark brown, the head and neck are yellow. The tail is brown, monochromatic. I fly in pairs or alone. They float slowly in the sky. The wing length is more than half a meter.

In the photo there is a burial ground eagle

The bald eagle is a bird of prey. This kind eagle birds With white head. This bird is a symbol of America. All plumage is brown except the head and tail. The beak and legs are yellow. There is no feathering on the legs.

The weight of an adult individual reaches from 2 to 7 kg. Body length can be up to 100 cm. It feeds mainly on fish. The bird flies over the water and grabs prey with its claws. The average lifespan of a bald eagle is 20 to 30 years.

Pictured is a bald eagle

The osprey bird lives in both the southern and northern hemispheres. The length reaches 50-60 cm, the wingspan is more than 1.5 meters. It is not the largest eagle species in size, weighing up to 2 kg. The wings are long and brown. The legs and beak are black. The female lays up to 4 eggs. The osprey lives for about 10 years.

In the photo there is an osprey bird

Character and lifestyle of an eagle

Eagles are monogamous birds, capable of choosing one partner for life. They often live in pairs. To get food for themselves and their offspring, they can circle in the sky for hours, looking for prey. Seeing the victim, he quickly flies down, eagle strong bird therefore, it easily bites into prey and kills it with its beak.

Birds can prey on large animals (foxes, wolves, roe deer), small animals (hares, gophers) and, of course, other birds and fish. If hunting does not bring results for a long time, the eagle may begin to feed on carrion.

They hunt on land and in water. Having caught prey, the bird tries to eat it immediately, except if it is necessary to feed the chicks. Some species kill highly venomous snakes. After lunch, he absorbs a lot of water and spends a long time carefully cleaning his plumage.

In general, hunting takes little time; eagles spend most of their lives observing everything that happens around them. In addition, they do not need to hunt every day, since they can store food in their crop for several days.

Reproduction and lifespan

Full sexual maturity in birds occurs at 4-5 years of age. Usually eagles nest on bushes or trees, sometimes on rocks - this applies to mountain eagles. Both partners are involved in the construction of the nest, but the female puts more effort into the construction. These nests have been used for several years.

Sometimes birds take over other people's nests (falcons, crows). Females lay eggs once a year, their number sometimes reaching up to three. Depending on the type of eagles, they hatch eggs differently. The chicks hatch and immediately begin to fight.

– Gravediggers are excellent parents; within one and a half months, both parents take turns sitting on the eggs. Eaglets love to fight, so the weak ones always die from beatings. After three months, the chicks are taught to fly; by winter they must be ready for long flights.

– Steppe eagles nest on the ground, building homes from branches. The eggs are warmed by the females, and the males carry food to the hens. The males do not care much for the female, so she sometimes has to abandon her eggs and hunt on her own. But at the same time, she still monitors the safety of the eggs.

But both parents look after the chicks equally. – The crested eagle hatches one egg. Nests 10-30 meters from the ground. The chicks are fed for two months. Birds live for 30 years, and some even live up to 45.

Domestic bird eagle a rare phenomenon. If there is a desire buy eagle bird, you need to take it as a chick. An adult, accustomed to freedom, will not be able to live peacefully in captivity. In order for the chick to grow strong at home, it is necessary to feed it properly. It is better to stick to lean meat, any other than pork. Up to two months he should be fed 6 times a day.

It is important to understand that there must be enough time to teach an eaglet to fly. He must fly at least an hour a day. And he cannot be released into the wild, otherwise he will die. In addition, the bird is not particularly obstinate; it will take a lot of time to train it.

The eagle is actually a very noble and majestic bird. It can be seen on the coat of arms of St. Petersburg, and this is not surprising, bird eagle what a wonderful symbol reflecting the power of the city.

Eagles are large, powerful birds of prey from the Eagle family. They have large, hooked beaks and excellent eyesight. The eagle's feet have powerful claws that help them catch prey.
Eagles build their nests in the tops of tall trees or on high cliffs. There are more than sixty different species of eagles. One species of eagles, golden eagles are known to hunt foxes, wild cats and even young deer and goats.
The eagle stands out among many other birds of prey mainly due to its larger size, more powerful build, massive head and beak. The vast majority of eagles are meat-eating predators.
Eagles have unusual eyes. They are very large in relation to their head size and have an unusually large pupil. In the eyes of representatives of the Eagle family, there are a million light-sensitive cells per 1 square millimeter of the retina, that is, five times more than in humans (200,000). While humans see only three primary colors, eagles see five. This adaptation gives eagles extremely acute vision and allows them to detect even well-camouflaged potential prey from very long distances. In fact, Eagle eyesight is better than any other animal. Research shows that some eagles can spot an animal the size of a rabbit from up to two miles away!
Female eagles (eagles) typically lay one to four eggs each mating season. Many species of eagles lay two eggs, but often an older, larger eaglet may kill its younger brother or sister after they hatch. Adult eagles do not interfere with this.
The Harpy Eagle and Philippine Eagle have a wingspan of 2.5 meters and use their massive, long talons to kill and drag off prey such as large deer and monkeys.
In Greece, golden eagles eat turtles by dropping them from great heights onto rocks to reveal their armored shells.
Although most eagles are carnivores, the African hawk eagle is primarily a vegetarian, feeding on oil-rich palm fruits.

Some eagles have short wings and a long tail, which helps them hunt in difficult forest boundaries, while others have a short tail and wide, long wings, which allow them to soar high above open plains or water surfaces.
To protect their territories and attract mates, eagles stage spectacular aerial “shows,” including free-falling downwards.
Eagles are revered throughout the world as a living symbol of pride, power and freedom. The place where the eagle landed was an indication for the ancient Aztecs where to build a new city. In some religions, an eagle soaring in the sky is believed to touch the face of God. Native Americans considered eagle feathers to be the highest honor and distinction for the most worthy members of the tribe. These birds are depicted on the coats of arms of a large number of countries, such as Germany, Mexico, Egypt, Poland and Austria.
Although eagle populations around the world are declining as a result of habitat destruction, hunting and pollution, efforts by scientists and authorities are helping to preserve some species, such as the bald eagle, whose population has exploded in the United States over the past few decades.

The hawk family includes 205 species, distributed throughout the world, except Antarctica and some oceanic islands. The sizes are medium and large - from 28 to 114 cm. The wings are wide and usually rounded, the paws are strong. The beak is strong, hook-like. Males and females are colored the same in most cases. The food is varied: mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, mollusks and other invertebrates, carrion. Nests in trees, on rocks, on the ground. There are 1-6 eggs in a clutch.

A somewhat separate group in the hawk family consists of honey beetles. In the fauna of the USSR they are represented by two species.

Common Buzzard(Pernis apivorus) is a medium-sized bird: total length 45-52 cm, wing length 37-43.5 cm, weight 600-1100 g. Females are noticeably larger than males. The build is light, the wings and tail are long, so the bird seems larger than it actually is. The beak is low; nostrils are slit-like, obliquely located. The frenulum and forehead are covered with dense scale-like feathers. There are 14 helmsmen in the tail. The tarsus are covered with small shields, the claws are sharp but slightly curved.

The coloration of both adults and juveniles is varied. Typically, adult honey beetles have a grayish-brown dorsal side with dark trunk lines; the crown and back of the head in males are often gray. The flight feathers are brown with whitish bases and black transverse stripes, the tail feathers are brown with transverse dark brown stripes and a “moiré” pattern. The ventral side is either brown, or white with a brown transverse pattern, or white with dark brown longitudinal markings. Sometimes monochromatic dark brown birds are also found. The beak and claws are black, the iris is yellow or orange, the wax is dark gray, the legs are yellow.

Young birds in the first year are brown on the dorsal side, often with buffy-whitish markings on the head, neck, and wing coverts; often the head is whitish with dark brown spots; the ventral side is like that of adults, but there are no individuals with a brown transverse pattern. The iris in young ones is grayish or grayish-yellow, the cere is pale yellow.

The honey beetle is a forest bird that prefers sparse forests interspersed with open spaces. Breeds in Northern and Central Europe from the southern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula and Finland in the north to central Spain, France, Italy, Greece in the south, as well as in Asia Minor and northern Iran. In the USSR - from Arkhangelsk, then from approximately 62-63° north latitude south to the Crimea and the Caucasus. Breeds sporadically in the southern zone of Western and Central Siberia, east to Altai. A migratory bird wintering in sub-Saharan Africa. It arrives in the nesting area late, which is due to its feeding habits (mainly hymenopteran insect larvae, hence the name of the bird).

The honey buzzard nests in late May - early June. It makes nests in trees, sometimes occupying the buildings of other birds (crow, buzzard). It builds a nest from twigs and usually decorates it with green branches and leaves. The clutch is usually made of 2, less often of 1 or 3 or even 4 eggs, with a thick and bright chestnut pattern on an ocher background.

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The female incubates with some participation of the male for 33-34 days. The chicks begin to fledge at the age of 40-45 days.

Buzzards feed mainly on insects, especially the larvae of social hymenoptera (wasps, bumblebees). Sitting on a tree or flying slowly, the honey beetle watches for insects, notices the nest, approaches it and tears it apart with its paws. Additional food for the honeybuzzard is provided by other insects - grasshoppers, large caterpillars and beetles, as well as frogs, lizards, snakes, small birds and rodents.

Larger (wing length 42-46 cm) and slightly differently colored (only 2 transverse stripes on the tail) crested buzzard(P. ptilorhynchus) is found in our forests of Central and Eastern Siberia from Altai to Primorye and Sakhalin, and also flies into Central Asia.

Fork-tailed kite(Elanoides forficatus) also belongs to the group of honey beetles. This is a small, but long-winged and long-tailed (with a deep tail notch) bird, with short legs. The total length is about 50 cm (due to the long tail), the wingspan is 110-125 cm, the wing length is 40-45 cm. The color of adults consists of a combination of black and white: the back, wings, rump and tail are black, the rest of the body is white. Juveniles have white tips on black feathers and dark longitudinal spots on the white feathers. The beak and claws are black, the iris is reddish-brown or black-brown, the wax and paws are blue.

The fork-tailed kite was widespread in southern North America in the last century, but due to unreasonable persecution it was destroyed in most of the North American breeding area. Currently, it is found there only locally in South Florida. It nests in Central America and in the eastern part of South America to Bolivia and Argentina.

The fork-tailed kite nests in trees. There are 2-4 motley eggs in the clutch, which are incubated by both parents.

Fork-tailed kites feed almost exclusively on insects, which they catch on the fly, like swallows (but, unlike the latter, not with their beaks, but with their paws).

Broad-short kite(Machaeramphus alcinus), being close to honey beetles in some structural features and way of life, resembles nightjars, with which there are some biological similarities: among birds of prey, the wide-mouthed kite is one of the few birds that leads a crepuscular rather than strictly diurnal lifestyle. The appearance of these birds is very peculiar: the beak is short, the beak cut is huge, reaching to the eyes, like nightjars; the base of the beak is densely covered with soft bristles (vibrissae); very big eyes. There is a tuft of moderate length on the back of the head. The toes are long and thin, the claws are strongly curved. The wings are long, the tail is of moderate length, with wide tails.

The iris is yellow, the legs are gray, the beak is black. Total length 40-47 cm.

The general color of the dorsal side is blackish-brown; there is a white ring around the eye; the ventral side is mottled with a white longitudinal stripe on the throat and neck, mottled with blackish markings. Juveniles are grayish on the dorsal side, mottled on the ventral side; sides and tail with a transverse pattern.

The wide-mouthed kite is widespread in Southeast Asia: in Tenasserim, Malacca, the Greater Sunda Islands, and also in New Guinea. A closely related form is found in sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.

The lifestyle has been little studied. It is characteristic that, apparently, the main place in the diet of the wide-mouthed kite is occupied by bats (in addition, large insects, and occasionally small birds). It grabs prey with its paws and swallows it whole on the fly.

It makes nests in tall trees. The clutch apparently contains 2 bluish-green eggs, sometimes with brown markings. Reproduction details are unknown.

To the group kites include birds of different external structure and lifestyle.

Distributed from southern Mexico to northern parts of South America serrated kite(Harpagus bidentatus) (name from the presence of two teeth on the beak) is a small bird of prey that inhabits forests. The tarsus and toes are short, the claws are slightly curved. The total length is 30-35 cm. The color of adults is dark gray on the head, brown on other parts of the body; flight and tail feathers with light transverse stripes; there is a dark longitudinal stripe on the throat; throat dark gray; on the ventral side there are whitish and brownish transverse stripes. Young birds in their first annual plumage are brownish on the dorsal side, with light edges of feathers; the ventral side has a dark pattern longitudinally on the chest and transversely on the belly and sides. The beak and claws are black, the iris is orange-reddish, and the legs are orange. Nests in trees. The clutch contains 3-4 white eggs mottled with brown spots. The food consists mainly of small reptiles and insects.

Brahmin kite(Haliastur indus) inhabits South Asia from India and the Indo-Australian archipelago to the Solomon Islands. Total length 42.5-50 cm. Adult birds with white head, neck, chest; the rest of the body is reddish-brown. Juveniles are brown with dark streaks on the head and neck; on the ventral side they are brown with light edges of feathers. The beak is whitish, yellow at the top; brown iris; legs are yellow.

It lives near water bodies, in mangroves, and in rice fields. It feeds largely on carrion, dead fish, as well as chicks, lizards, frogs, and small animals. In India there appear to be two clutches a year - in December and June. Nests are in trees, often on palm trees. There are 2 (sometimes 3) motley eggs in the clutch. Both parents incubate. Seasonal movements are probably associated with changes in rainy and dry periods.

Slug-eating kite(Rosthramus sociabilis) is a medium-sized bird: length 40-45 cm, wingspan about 125 cm. The wings are long and wide, the tail is slightly notched at the top, the legs are long with sharp, strongly curved claws. The beak is thin, relatively long, with a long, steeply curved hook on the beak.

The general color of males is black, the head is grayish, there is a white area on the underwings, white undertail, tail feathers with a white base and a white tip.

Females and young are blackish-brown on the dorsal side, buffy with dark streaks on the ventral side. The cere and unfeathered frenulum are red or orange, the iris is red, the legs are bright yellow.

The slug-eating kite is a nomadic and migratory bird. Breeds in Florida (USA), Eastern Mexico, Cuba and South America, reaching south to Argentina.

It nests in trees among swamps in groups, sometimes consisting of several dozen pairs. The male builds the nest. A clutch of 2-4 pale green eggs with brown markings. Both parents incubate and feed the offspring. The young fly out of the nest at the age of one month and put on their final plumage, apparently only after the second annual molt, in the third year of life.

The diet of the slug-eating kite is very specialized. It feeds on large Rotasea snails. Its thin beak with a long hook is adapted for extracting snails from shells. The drainage of swamps and the associated decrease in the number of snails in many places also causes a decrease in the number of slug-eating kites. This biologically interesting bird requires complete protection.

Within the Soviet Union, kites are represented by two species.

Black kite(Milvus korschun) has a total length of approximately 40-50 cm, a wingspan of 140-155 cm, a wing length of 41-51 cm, and weighs 800-1100 g. Females are slightly larger than males. In the eastern parts of the distribution area, the birds are larger in size than in the western and southern parts.

The coloration of adult black kites (two years old and older, males and females) is as follows: the dorsal side is dark brown; the crown is sometimes whitish with blackish shaft markings; the primary flight feathers are dark brown with light bases of the inner webs; the tails are brown with a dark transverse pattern; the ventral side is brown, often with a reddish tint. Young birds in their first annual plumage are dark brown with light buffy markings. The iris is pale brown or yellow-brown, the beak and claws are black, the wax and legs are yellow (bluish-gray in young ones).

For nesting, the black kite is common in Africa (except the Sahara) and Madagascar, in temperate and southern Asia, on some islands, in particular the Philippine, Sulawesi, New Guinea; finally in Northern Australia. In the Palearctic it is a migratory bird; in other parts of the breeding area it is sedentary. In the USSR, the black kite is distributed from Arkhangelsk, the southern part of the Vologda region, middle Pechora to Primorye. Does not nest in the northern part of the taiga strip and further north. In its distribution, the black kite is associated with woody vegetation (it nests in trees) and with water bodies (as a feeding ground). It is found both on the plains and in the forest belt of the mountains.

In the USSR, black kite nests - usually built by the birds themselves - are located on trees, and occasionally (in Central Asia) on rocks. Kites often nest in groups, forming small nesting colonies. Eggs are laid in late April - early May. The clutch consists of 2-3, rarely 1 or 4 or even 5 eggs, white with brown lines and spots. The eggs are incubated by the female, with some participation from the male. The young become flightable at the age of 42-45 days.

The black kite is an omnivorous bird. It readily feeds on carrion and garbage (in Africa and South Asia it often lives in human settlements), as well as fish, chicks, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles and insects.

Red kite(M. milvus) is somewhat larger than the black kite, with a deeper notch at the top of the tail and a slightly different color. The total length of the bird is 58-61 cm, wingspan 150-170 cm, wing length 47.5-53 cm, weight 1000-1300 g.

The general color tone of adult birds (males and females) is reddish-red, the head is buffy or whitish with dark longitudinal spots.

The red kite is less widespread than the black one. It breeds in Central and Southern Europe from the Scandinavian Peninsula in the north, in Asia Minor and Northern Iran, in North-West Africa, on the Canary Islands and Cape Verde Islands. In the Soviet Union, it nests in the Baltic states (Latvia), in the western regions of Ukraine from Transcarpathia to the Kyiv region, in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia. In Western and Central Europe over the past decades, it has noticeably decreased in number.

In the north, the red kite is a migratory bird, but already in the Mediterranean it leads a sedentary lifestyle. Found in forests, often along the edges of cultural landscapes.

Hawk constitute a large, but at the same time very similar group. These are birds of medium and small size, associated in their habitats mainly with forests. They feed mainly on birds and mammals. The forest lifestyle requires hawks not only to be fast, but also to have great flight maneuverability among trees and bushes. This is reflected in the structure of hawks. The wings of hawks are relatively short and rounded; the tail is long; paws with long fingers and large claws, with a long tarsus. Hawks have a very wide distribution, limited to the presence of forests.

As a typical and most studied representative of hawks, we can consider large hawk or goshawk(Accipiter gentilis).

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The total length of the bird is 52-68 cm, wing length 30-38 cm, weight 700-1500 g. Females are much larger than males.

The coloration of adult birds (one year old and older) is as follows. The dorsal side is grayish-brown in different shades - from bluish-gray to pure brown. The head is darker, dark brown or blackish, sometimes pale brown with white streaks. The primaries are brown with light transverse stripes on the inner webs; the tails are brown with a more or less developed blackish-brown transverse pattern. The ventral side is whitish with a transverse brown pattern of stripes and dark longitudinal trunk stripes (especially developed in North American goshawks), the undertail is white. The iris is reddish, orange or yellow; the beak is blue-brown with a blackish tip; claws black; the cere and paws are yellow. Females are slightly darker in color than males. On the. In the north, especially in the northeast of Siberia and Kamchatka, hawks of the white variety live: some individuals have pale bluish spots on the dorsal and ventral sides, some individuals are pure white.

Young hawks in their first annual plumage are brown above with buffy or whitish edges of feathers and streaks, the tail has a dark brown transverse pattern. The ventral side is white, buffy or reddish with a brown longitudinal pattern. And at this age there is a light (white) variation.

The distribution area of ​​the great hawk is very extensive. It nests in the forest zone of North America, Europe, Northern and Central Asia; in Africa - only in Morocco. To the north it is distributed to the forest-tundra, to the south - to Italy, Spain, Asia Minor, Palestine, Northern Iran, then found in Southwestern Siberia, Altai, the northwestern part of Mongolia, Western China, Tibet and Japan. The great hawk is predominantly a sedentary or nomadic species, but is migratory in the northern parts of its distribution. During non-breeding time, birds reach southern China (Yunnan), Burma, northern Pakistan and India, Central Asia and Iran, in America - the southern USA and northern Mexico. Long-distance migrations are especially typical for young birds.

The goshawk nests in trees in both deciduous and coniferous and mixed forests. The nests are used for several (many?) years in a row. It is characteristic that, like eagles and buzzards, green twigs are often placed in the nests. There are usually 3-4 eggs in a clutch, sometimes 5; Their color is greenish-white, sometimes with dark spots. The female incubates for 38 days. The male brings her food at this time; he also takes care of feeding the chicks, at least during the first three weeks after their hatching. At the age of 35-40 days, the fledged chicks leave the nest, but at first stay close to it.

The food of goshawks is very varied. They mainly feed on birds - from small to medium and relatively large (from kinglets to pigeons and pheasants), as well as mammals, in particular squirrels, rabbits and especially hares.

Sparrowhawk(A. nisus) is a typical representative of another group of hawks, which differs from goshawks in its smaller size, lighter build, and relatively longer tarsus and fingers. Total length 30-43 cm, wing length 18-26 cm, weight 120-280 g. Females are much larger than males.

Adult males are bluish-gray on the dorsal side in different shades, with a blackish crown, white eyebrow and white streaks on the back of the head; the primary flight feathers and tail feathers are striated (sometimes stripes are absent on the middle tail feathers); the ventral side is whitish or buffy with a brown or red transverse pattern. Females differ from males in the brown coloration of their dorsal side; their ventral side is white with a brown transverse pattern. The undertail of both males and females is white; in young birds in the first annual plumage, the dorsal side is brown with white spots on the back of the head, with buffy or reddish feather edges; The flight feathers and tail feathers are light brown with dark brown transverse stripes; The ventral side is buffy, reddish or brownish with a brown or dark red transverse pattern of stripes, often in the form of heart-shaped or teardrop-shaped specks on the crop and chest. Rainbow is orange-yellow; the beak is bluish-brown; claws black; the cere and legs are yellow.

Sparrowhawks nest in the same area year after year, but every year they build a new nest near the old one. Forest edges are preferred as a nesting site - near river valleys, roads, etc. Nests are located mainly on coniferous trees, especially pine trees. The clutch, which takes place in May in the central zone of the USSR, contains 4-6 eggs, bluish-white with brown or brown-violet streaks. Only the female incubates for 35-36 days, the male brings her and the chicks food. The chicks stay in the nest for 26-30 days, and then after hatching they are kept in broods for 2-3 weeks.

During the nesting period, the sparrowhawk feeds almost exclusively on small birds (however, females also hunt partridges). During non-breeding times, the sparrowhawk's food also includes small rodents - mice and voles, especially during the years of mass reproduction of rodents.

Of the other small hawks found in the Soviet Union, two species should be noted. Turkestan tyuvik(A. badius) is widespread in Asia and Africa, inhabiting both forests and cultural landscapes. In the USSR it inhabits the lowland parts of Central Asia; in our country it is a migratory bird. The tyuvik's legs are relatively short. This applies to both the shank and the fingers. The wings are relatively long. Dimensions of Central Asian birds: total length 30-38 cm, wing length 18-23 cm, weight 190-270 g. Females are much larger than males.

Adult males are brownish-gray on the dorsal side, the crown is lighter than the back, there are whitish spots on the back of the head, dark brown flight feathers with a blurred light transverse pattern, lateral tail feathers with blackish transverse stripes. The ventral side is whitish with a dark longitudinal stripe on the throat and a pale rufous transverse pattern, with a white undertail. The adult female is brown on the dorsal side, whitish on the ventral side with a brown transverse pattern. The iris is reddish-orange, the beak is black-brown, the claws are black, the wax and legs are yellow. Juveniles in the first annual plumage are dark brown on the dorsal side with reddish or buffy edges of feathers, the flight feathers are dark brown with a transverse pattern, the tail feathers are grayish-brown with dark brown transverse stripes. The ventral side is whitish with brown stripes, there is a longitudinal brown pattern on the chest, and transverse stripes on the sides.

Birds that are already one year old are breeding. Nests are in trees, sometimes built by themselves, sometimes other people's nests are used. Laying in Central Asia occurs in the last third of May and consists of 3-4, sometimes fewer or more eggs. The female incubates for 33-35 days. Flight chicks appear in August.

The Turkestan tyuvik hunts in open places on the outskirts of the cultural landscape, takes prey mainly from the ground, and rarely catches birds in the air. Therefore, its main prey consists of reptiles, small animals and large insects; Birds in the Tyuvik feeding regime occupy a relatively small place.

Very close view - European Tuvik(A. brevipes) is distributed in the southern zone of the European part of the USSR and the Caucasus, as well as in South-Eastern Europe to the Balkan Peninsula. In terms of its lifestyle, it is similar to the Turkestan tyuvik, but differs from it in the details of coloring and slightly larger size.

A special group of hawks is represented by the so-called song hawks of the genus Melierax (the name is given for their voice) living in Africa. They are distinguished by relatively long wings and tarsus, short fingers, which is probably due to the fact that they live mainly in open landscapes, although they nest in trees.

Species called harpies, are essentially very large hawks. These are forest birds with maneuverable flight and relatively short wings, a long tail and long legs with a powerful grasping apparatus (fingers, claws).

Harpy(Harpia harpyja) is a large bird: length 80-90 cm, females weigh about 8 kg. On the head is a crest of wide feathers. The beak is powerful, but narrow, with a large hook. The paws are huge with powerful claws. The wings are wide and rounded, the tail is of moderate length, straight cut.

The adult outfit (it is put on at the age of four) is gray on the head and neck (the crest on the back of the head is black or dark gray), on the dorsal side it is black with whitish edges on the wing coverts, loin, and rump. The tail is grayish-brown with three black transverse stripes. The ventral side is white with a black band on the crop and with black transverse stripes on the feathers of the lower leg. The iris is dark brown or black, the legs are yellow, the beak is bluish-black.

The young are in the first plumage with 10-11 transverse stripes on the tail, their crest is white, the color of the dorsal side is pale gray, the band on the crop is pale gray.

The harpy lives in the lowland tropical forests of South and Central America - from Mexico to central Brazil.

The harpy nests in tall trees, usually near river bodies of water. The nest is occupied from year to year and reaches large sizes - about 100 cm in height and up to 165 cm in diameter. The harpy reproduces non-intensively. The young remain in the care of their parents for a long time and develop slowly. The clutch occurs every other year and contains only one egg. Reproduction details are unknown. Despite the fact that at the age of 8-10 months young harpies fly well, they stay within the nesting area of ​​their parents and feed only on what the old birds bring them. Moreover, they can go without food for a long time - 10-14 days.

The food of harpies is mainly monkeys (for example, capuchins), sloths and other mammals - agoutis, dart frogs, opossums; Of the birds, macaws are mentioned as the harpy's food.

Monkey-eating harpy(Pithecophaga jefferyi) was discovered on the island of Samar (Philippines) in 1894 and described only in 1897. Unfortunately, over the past 70 years, its numbers have sharply decreased (perhaps the monkey-eating harpy was never particularly numerous) and now the bird is, in all likelihood, on the verge of extinction.

The total number of monkey-eating harpy, according to modern estimates of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (1966), does not exceed 100 birds; in 1965, 17 birds were kept in 12 zoological gardens.

The monkey-eating harpy is widespread in dense high-trunk tropical forests on the islands of Mindanao, Luzon and, possibly, Leyte (Philippines). Previously noted (and caught) on the island of Samar. The reason for the sad situation with the monkey-eating harpy is excessive persecution by humans - hunting and trapping for zoological gardens. In addition, the monkey-eating harpy reproduces non-intensively.

Little is known about the monkey-eater’s lifestyle, since, despite its size, it leads a hidden lifestyle in dense forests, and is also small in number. Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) occupy a large place in the diet of birds. It also attacks domestic animals - mammals and birds (chickens), flying into villages.

Little is known about the reproduction of the monkey-eating harpy. There is 1 large egg in the clutch. Reproduces annually.

The monkey-eating harpy is a large bird. The length of males is slightly more than 80 cm, the length of the wing is about 50 cm. Females are larger than males. The wings are relatively short and the tail is long, which ensures maneuverable flight among dense woody vegetation. The beak is very large and high, but at the same time narrow. On the back of the head, like other harpies, there is a crest of long and narrow feathers.

The coloration of adult birds is as follows. The head is whitish-ochre with dark markings on the crown and ear region; the dorsal side of the body and wings are brown with light edges; tail with dark and light patterns; The ventral side is buffy-whitish with reddish-brown markings on the sides and leg feathers. The iris is pale blue, the beak is black, the legs are yellow. Age-related color changes have been poorly studied. Young and transitional birds are colored similar to adults.

Description of typical orlov(genus Aquila) you can start by getting to know golden eagle(A. chrysaetus). This is a large bird with long and relatively narrow wings, a slightly rounded tail; the feathers on the back of the head are narrow and pointed; the paws are very powerful, with strong claws and a tarsus feathered down to the toes. The dimensions of the golden eagle are as follows: total length 80-95 cm, wing length 60-72.5 cm, weight 3-6.5 kg. Females are noticeably larger than males. Both sexes are colored the same.

Adult birds (four years old and older) are dark brown in color; on the ventral side, in the plumage of the lower leg and undertail, a larger or smaller admixture of a reddish-golden color; the back of the head and back of the neck are reddish; primaries black-brown with grayish bases; the tail feathers are dark gray with dark brown markings and a black apical stripe. The iris is nut-brown, the beak is bluish-brown, the claws are black, the wax and legs are bright yellow. In the first annual plumage, young golden eagles are dark brown with white bases of feathers and whitish plumage of the tarsus; Their tail feathers are white with a wide black apical stripe.

The golden eagle is distributed in Europe, Asia, North America and North-West Africa, north to the limits of tall forests. In Eurasia, it is distributed from the Iberian Peninsula in the west to Central Asia and Japan in the east. In the Soviet Union it is found from forest-tundra in the north to Transcaucasia, Central Asia and Altai in the south. A resident bird, with the exception of the northeast of Siberia (Yakutia), where it is migratory. Young eagles roam quite widely. It nests in forests, mountains, and deserts. In many European countries, the number of golden eagle sharply decreased in the 19th-20th centuries, and in some places it was exterminated. Therefore, the golden eagle is currently protected in most countries. In addition, it is valued as an excellent bird of prey (especially in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan).

Golden eagle pairs are permanent and form for life. Nests are huge structures made of branches up to 3 m in diameter and 2 m in height, occupied for many years. They are located on trees or on rocks. Each pair usually has several nests, occupied in shifts in different years.

Laying is early: in Western Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus - in March, in the forest belt of the USSR - in April. The number of eggs in a clutch is 1-3, more often 2. The color of the eggs is dirty white with brown streaks and specks. Incubation begins with the laying of the first egg and is carried out primarily by the female (with some participation of the male). Incubation duration is 43-45 days. Eaglets become capable of flight at the age of 75-80 days and usually stay with their parents until next spring.

The golden eagle is the most energetic of the eagles, so its prey is relatively large game. Its food is varied: animals include hares, gophers, marmots, young ungulates (deer, in particular reindeer, roe deer), also foxes, martens; birds the size of wood grouse and geese. In addition, the golden eagle willingly feeds on carrion. Sometimes it feeds on small animals (mice, voles, squirrels).

Burying ground(A. heliaca) is smaller than the golden eagle and has weaker paws and claws. Total length 72-84 cm, wing length 54-65 cm, weight about 3 kg. Females are larger than males.

Both sexes are colored the same. Adult birds are generally dark brown in color; the head is buffy or whitish, with a black cap on the crown; shoulder, all or some, white; the primaries are black-brown with a gray transverse pattern on the bases; the tail ones are dark gray with a transverse dark brown pattern and a blackish-brown apical stripe. The iris is yellow or light brown, the beak is blackish, the claws are black, the wax and legs are yellow.

Young birds in the first annual plumage are pale brown with buffy spots on the wing coverts and with buffy longitudinal stripes on the ventral side; the tail ones are dark brown with a weakly expressed light transverse pattern; the iris is grayish. Intermediate outfits are characterized by less development of light streaks.

The burial ground is widespread in Europe, North-West Africa and Asia. In Europe it breeds in southern Spain, northern Greece, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania, and the eastern parts of Slovakia; in Asia - in Western Asia, in the north-west of Pakistan and in Northern Mongolia. In the USSR it is found in the southern zone of the European part, in the Crimea, the Caucasus, Central Asia, in Southern Siberia to Krasnoyarsk, Altai, Irkutsk, Transbaikalia. In our country, the Imperial Eagle is a migratory bird. Inhabits forest-steppe areas of woody vegetation, steppe semi-deserts and in some places even deserts (Central Asia). Found on plains and in the lower mountain belt.

Nests are located in trees, rarely along cliffs. Clutch of 2, rarely 3 white eggs (Table 19). Eggs are laid on different dates in April. Both parents incubate for approximately 43 days. At two months of age or a little later, the chicks fly out of the nest.

The main food of the Imperial Eagle is small mammals, especially ground squirrels; sometimes it attacks hares, and does not neglect mouse-like rodents (voles, etc.). In addition, it feeds on birds, especially young ones, and also eats carrion.

steppe eagle(A. garakh) is smaller than the Imperial Eagle, with weak fingers, armed with short claws. Total length 60-85 cm, wing length 51-65 cm, weight of birds (from outside the Soviet Union) 2.7-4.8 kg. Females are larger than males; African and South Asian birds are smaller than northern ones, but with relatively stronger legs.

The color of adult birds (four years old and older) is dark brown, often with a reddish spot on the back of the head, with black-brown primary flight feathers, where there are gray-brown streaks at the base of the internal webs; the tail ones are dark brown with gray transverse stripes. The iris is nut-brown, the beak is grayish-blackish, the claws are black, the wax and legs are yellow.

In the first annual plumage, young birds are pale brownish-buff with buffy streaks and rump; the tails are brown with ocher edges. Intermediate outfits are characterized by a gradual decrease in ocher streaks.

The steppe eagle is widespread, as its name suggests, in open, dry plains of a steppe or semi-desert nature. The nesting region covers South-Eastern and South-Western Siberia, Western, Central and Central Asia to the western parts of China, north-western, central and southern parts of Africa (sub-Saharan Africa), India. In the north it is a migratory bird, in the south it is a sedentary bird.

Nests are located on the ground, in the eastern part of the distribution area - on rocks, rarely - on low, free-standing trees. In the USSR, egg laying occurs: in the western parts - in April (second half), in the eastern parts - around mid-May. The clutch contains 2 white eggs, slightly speckled with brown. Incubation lasts 40-45 days, the nesting period is about 60 days.

In the USSR, the steppe eagle feeds on medium-sized rodents, mainly ground squirrels, also hares, small rodents, etc., sometimes chicks or young birds. In addition, it willingly eats carrion, and sometimes reptiles. In the USSR, the steppe eagle is one of the most useful birds; Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, its numbers have sharply decreased in recent years, despite the measures taken to protect it.

Belonging to the genus of true eagles, the so-called screaming eagles, or spotted eagles, are represented in the Soviet Union by two types. They differ from each other in size and structural details.

Greater Spotted Eagle(A. clanga) has a total length of 65-73 cm, a wing length of 49-55 cm, and weighs 1.6-3.2 kg. Females are larger than males.

Both sexes are colored the same. Adult birds (from three years and older) are dark brown with a pale brown nape and rump; The flight feathers are blackish with light bases of the inner webs; the tail ones are dark brown, sometimes with a blackish transverse pattern. Occasionally there are individuals where the main brown color is replaced by an ocher-yellowish color. The iris is brown, the beak is bluish-brown, the claws are black, the legs are yellow.

In the first annual plumage, young birds are dark brown, darker than adults, with buffy or pale brownish streaks. In young people there is also a light variation with a predominance of ocher-golden tone. In intermediate outfits the admixture of ocher streaks gradually decreases.

The Greater Spotted Eagle is distributed from southern Finland, Poland, Hungary and Romania east to northern Mongolia, northern China and Pakistan; in the Soviet Union - from the Kaliningrad region to Primorye. Migratory bird wintering in Western, Central and Southern Asia, the United Arab Republic and Arabia.

Lesser Spotted Eagle(A. pomarina), as its name shows, is smaller than the Greater Spotted Eagle: its total length is 62-65 cm, wing length 44-51 cm, weight 1.5-1.8 kg. In coloration it is close to the Greater Spotted Eagle, but lighter; the lateral tail feathers are usually with a transverse pattern.

The Lesser Spotted Eagle is distributed from the Baltic States (Estonia) to the northern part of Greece, in the German Democratic Republic from Mecklenburg, in Austria, in Asia Minor and Iran, in India and in the north of Burma. Migratory bird wintering mainly in Africa.

Spotted eagles prefer mixed forests interspersed with river valleys, meadows and swamps. Such open areas serve as favorite hunting grounds for spotted eagles, which usually search for prey not on the fly, like most birds of prey, but on foot, like African secretaries. This is explained by the fact that reptiles and amphibians, as well as mice and voles, occupy a significant place in the diet of these eagles, especially the Lesser Spotted Eagle. The Greater Spotted Eagle follows birds more often than the Lesser Spotted Eagle; It often stays near ponds where ducks nest, or in areas rich in chicken birds. Both the Greater and Lesser Spotted Eagles readily eat carrion.

In their habits and movements, these eagles differ from golden eagles: they are less fast and agile, their flight is more even. The Greater Spotted Eagle arrives in the USSR early - at the end of March in the middle zone, in mid-March in the south and in the first half of April in the east. After arrival, the birds repair or build nests located in the trees. In May, 2 motley eggs (less often 1 or 3) are found in the nest. Incubation lasts about 40 days. Spotted eagles begin brooding after the first egg is laid, so there is a significant difference in development between chicks. Chicks become flight-born at the age of 8-9 weeks. This difference usually leads to the fact that the younger chick dies from persecution by the older one within the first two weeks after hatching; if the dangerous period has passed, then both chicks are raised safely by their parents.

In September - October, depending on the area, spotted eagles begin to fly to their wintering grounds in India, Iran, Asia Minor and Indochina. On departure, these eagles are sometimes observed in groups; more often they fly high one after another, but with large intervals.

Close to the actual eagles (Aquila) are the so-called long-tailed eagles(Hieraaetus). They are distinguished by their relatively light build, long tail, long tarsus and long toes. The claws are very long and sharp, the beak is short. Their flight is very maneuverable, in this respect they are similar to hawks.

Hawk eagle(N. fasciatus) - large bird: wing length 46-55 cm, total length 65-75 cm, weight 1.5-2.5 kg. Females are noticeably larger in size than males.

The color of adult birds on the dorsal side is blackish-brown, the tail is gray with a transverse dark pattern. The ventral side is buffy or white with blackish longitudinal streaks and with transverse dark stripes on the feathers of the shin and undertail.

Juveniles in the first annual plumage are reddish on the ventral side with rodlike streaks on the crop and chest, and have red streaks on the head and neck. The iris is yellow in adults, pale brown in young ones.

The beak is grayish-black, the claws are black, the wax and paws are yellow.

The hawk eagle is widespread in the tropical and subtropical zones of the eastern hemisphere: in Southern Europe, Africa (except the Sahara), Western, Central and Southern Asia, on the Lesser Sunda Islands. In the USSR in small numbers and sporadically found in Central Asia from Turkmenistan and Tajikistan in the south to the Karatau Mountains in the north. A sedentary bird that lives mainly in dry areas of mountains and foothills. In South Asia it is found mainly in wooded areas and not only in the mountains, but also on the plains, in sub-Saharan Africa - in savannas.

It nests mainly on rocks, but in some places (for example, in Turkmenistan) also on trees. The clutch usually consists of 2 (rarely 1 or 3) white, slightly speckled eggs. In the northern part of the distribution area it occurs as early as February. In China, clutches were found in March, in India - from November to February. Incubation lasts about 40 days, the chicks become flight-born at the age of approximately 8-10 weeks.

The hawk eagle feeds on mammals and medium-sized birds - hares, rabbits, gray and stone partridges, wild pigeons, ravens (jackdaws), etc. It catches prey mainly on the ground, but also in the air, like a falcon. Recently, hawk eagles in Western Europe have been successfully used as birds of prey.

Another species of long-tailed eagles common in the Soviet Union is dwarf eagle(N. pennatus). This is a medium-sized eagle: total length 46-53 cm, wing length 35-43.5 cm, weight about 700 g.

Dwarf eagles have two types of coloration - dark and light. Adult birds of the first type are dark brown above with light brown nape, neck and wing coverts; The flight feathers are black-brown with light streaks at the bases; tail feathers are dark brown with an unclear light transverse pattern; the ventral side is also dark brown with a black spot on the carpal fold of the wing, pale brown on the feathers of the shin and undertail.

In birds of a light color type, the dorsal side is pale brown with light grayish edges of the feathers, the ventral side is whitish, sometimes with brown transverse markings. The iris is yellow in adults, brown in juveniles, the beak is blackish, the claws are black, the wax and paws are yellow. Juveniles are light-colored, like adults; Young birds of a dark type have whitish markings on the ventral side against a brown background.

The dwarf eagle is distributed in North-West Africa, Southern Europe, Western and Central Asia, east to the northern part of Mongolia.

In the USSR it is found in the European part from Ukraine, Smolensk, Tula and Voronezh regions to the Caucasus, as well as in Central Asia and further to Altai, the upper Lena, and South-Eastern Transbaikalia.

Found in forests and forest-steppe, both on plains and in mountains up to altitudes of 2000 (occasionally 2400) m. Migratory bird.

It nests in trees, mainly deciduous, or on rocks. The clutch is laid mainly in May; it contains 2 (rarely 1 or even 3) whitish eggs, sometimes slightly mottled with brown. The female incubates predominantly for approximately 35 days. The chicks leave the nest at the age of 45-50 days. Broods stay with their parents until autumn.

In its feeding habits, the dwarf eagle resembles a hawk eagle. Its food consists of small mammals - from rabbits and gophers to small rodents; occasionally lizards, but mainly birds ranging in size from wood pigeons, rock partridges and magpies to small passerines.

Egg-eater(Ictinaetus malayensis) is characterized by a relatively weak beak, a small crest on the back of the head, a long tail and a thin and long inner toe claw. Adult birds are black, with only a white spot under the eye; the rump is gray with a white transverse pattern; the tail is black with gray transverse stripes. Juveniles in their first annual plumage with a yellowish head and variegated markings on the dorsal side. The beak is grayish, the iris is dark brown, the claws are black, the legs are yellow. Total length 50-60 cm.

The egg-eater is a resident bird of the forests of South Asia: India, Burma, Malacca and the islands of Indonesia. It nests in trees, with a clutch of 1 or 2 motley eggs. The main place in the diet of this bird is occupied by eggs and chicks of various birds located in the nests. In addition, it feeds on frogs, lizards and large insects.

Group of eagles is represented by several species of birds, to some extent transitional - in biological terms - between eagles themselves and kites.

They differ from eagles, with which they are very similar in appearance, by their unfeathered tarsus. The wings of eagles are long and wide; the tail is relatively short and wedge-shaped, usually of 12 tails; the feathers of the back of the head and neck are elongated and pointed. It is characteristic of eagles that they are largely associated with aquatic or semi-aquatic areas and that fish occupy a significant place in their feeding regime.

White-tailed eagle(Haliaeetus albicilla) - large bird: total length 77-100 cm, wing length 57.5-69 cm, weight 3-6.5 kg. Females are significantly larger than males.

The color of adult birds (four years old and older) is brown in different shades, the head is brownish-buff or whitish, the flight feathers are dark brown, the tail (of 12 tail feathers) is white. In the first annual plumage, young birds are brown with a blackish head, the main parts of the feathers are whitish, the ventral side is whitish with brown markings. The iris is whitish-yellow in adults, brown in juveniles; the beak is yellowish, blackish in young ones; the wax and legs are yellow, the claws are black. Adult attire is associated with the first annual gradual transitions.

The whitetail is a widespread bird. It breeds in Asia from the tundra to Japan, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Northern Iran and Turkey (Asia Minor); in Europe from the north of Scandinavia to Romania, Hungary, the Balkans and the coasts of the Baltic Sea; in Corsica and Sardinia; in the Hebrides and Shetland Islands; in Iceland and Greenland. In winter, some birds, especially young ones, migrate south to Pakistan, China and North Africa.

In Central and Western Europe, due to human persecution, the whitetail has become very rare.

The whitetail lives near bodies of water - both on sea coasts (for example, in Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland), and near lakes and rivers.

It usually nests in trees, high from the ground, less often on rocks. The nest is a huge structure made of twigs, used by birds for many years in a row.

The pairs are permanent. Laying is early: in the south already in the last days of February - early March, in the north - in the forest-tundra and tundra - only at the end of April. The clutch usually contains 2, sometimes 1 or 3 white eggs, sometimes speckled with ocher spots. Both parents incubate, but predominantly the female. The duration of incubation for large birds is relatively short - 35-40 days. The chicks begin to fledge at the age of approximately 70 days.

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The food of the white-tailed eagle is very diverse. Fish occupy a significant place in the diet of the whitetail. If an eagle, flying over the water surface, sees a fish, it quickly descends and, as it were, scoops it up with its paws, and sometimes it plunges into the water for a short time. The eagle also feeds on waterfowl, including geese, loons and large ducks, forcing them to dive and snatching them from the surface of the water when prey appears on it to catch its breath. It also feeds on mammals - hares, marmots, gophers, etc. It also does not neglect small prey, in the north, for example, lemmings. Eats whitetail and carrion, especially in winter.

In North America, the white-tailed eagle is replaced by bald eagle(N. leucocephalus) is a bird that serves as the national emblem of the United States of America. This bird is somewhat smaller than the white-tail: total length 67.5-75 cm, wing length 51.5-68 cm. The color of adult birds is dark brown, the head, neck and tail are white. Juveniles in their first annual plumage are black-brown with buffy markings on the tail and underwings.

Long-tailed eagle(N. leucoryphus) is smaller than the whitetail: total length 61-88 cm, wing length 55-62 cm, weight 2.6-3.5 kg. Females are much larger than males. Age-related color changes are significant. The general color of adult birds is dark brown, the tail feathers are white with black bases of feathers and a black apical stripe, the head and neck are buffy-grayish. Young birds in their first annual plumage are brown with white streaks on the tail and blackish cheeks and ear coverts. The iris is pale brown, the beak is blackish-gray, the wax is bluish, the legs are pale yellow, the claws are black.

This eagle nests from the Lower Volga region in the west to Mongolia, Western China and Tibet in the east, south to Burma and Pakistan. Inhabits steppes and semi-deserts, adhering to the coasts of water bodies. A migratory bird with large wintering grounds in India. Longtail nests both on the plains and in the mountains, where it is found at altitudes of up to 3000 and even 4500 m.

Nests are placed in trees and reed heaps. A clutch of 2-4, usually 2, pure white eggs. Details of reproduction (duration of incubation, nesting period, etc.) have not been studied.

The longtail feeds on fish, small mammals, and birds, mainly aquatic.

Steller's sea eagle, or Kamchatka eagle(N. pelagicus) - a very large bird:

total length 105-112 cm, wing length 57-68 cm, weight 7.5-9 kg.

In adult birds, the color consists of a combination of dark brown and white (but there is also a single-color dark brown variation). The forehead, lower leg plumage, lesser and middle wing coverts, as well as tail feathers are white, the rest of the plumage is dark brown. Young birds in their first annual plumage are brown with white feather bases and buffy streaks. Males and females are colored identically, and the final plumage is donned at the age of three. The iris is light brown, the massive beak is yellowish-brown, the wax and paws are yellow, the claws are black.

This eagle is widespread in Kamchatka, the lower reaches of the Amur, Sakhalin and Korea. A sedentary and nomadic species that flies to North-West America, Japan and Northern China.

It nests in trees, high off the ground, for many years in a row in the same place. It makes nests near sea coasts, but mainly in river valleys. There are 1-3 in a clutch, usually 2 whitish eggs. There is little information about the details of reproduction.

The Steller's sea eagle feeds on large and medium-sized fish (especially salmon), mammals (hares, young Arctic foxes, young seals), carrion and, perhaps, invertebrates.

An extensive and widespread group of the hawk bird family is represented by buzzards or buzzards, close to eagles, bald eagles, harpies. Buzzards themselves are medium-sized birds, densely built, with a varied feeding regime.

One of the large buzzards (total length 62-67 cm) - Chilean buzzard, or aguya(Geranoaetus melanoleucus). Adult birds are dark gray with a blackish-gray crop and breast; the ventral side is white with a gray transverse pattern. In juveniles, the predominant color is dark brown on the dorsal side, pale brown with a dark pattern on the ventral side. The iris is orange, the beak and claws are black, the legs are yellow.

Distributed in South America, in the mountains and plains, mainly in the western parts of the continent.

Nests on rocks, trees, rarely on bushes. There are 2-3 motley eggs in the clutch. Only the female incubates for more than a month. At about a month of age or a little older, the chicks begin to fly.

It feeds on small and medium-sized mammals, birds, and carrion.

Genus of real buzzards(Buteo) is distributed throughout the world except Antarctica. Most representatives of this genus are characteristic of the Western Hemisphere. There are several species of real buzzards found in our country.

Common buzzard or buzzard(B.buteo), has the following dimensions: total length 46-57 cm, wingspan 100-120 cm, wing length 34-42.5 cm, weight 600-1200 g. Females are noticeably larger than males. There are also geographical variations in size: Western European and East Asian buzzards exceed in size the Eastern European and Western Siberian ones, as well as those living on the Cape Verde Islands and on islands located in the Mediterranean Sea.

The color of the common buzzard is very variable. In adult birds in the second year of life, the main color tone on the dorsal side is brown in different shades - from dark brown to reddish-brown, with lighter feather edges; the primary flight feathers are brown with whitish bases of the inner webs and with a blurred blackish-brown transverse pattern; tail feathers are light brown or reddish-brown with a narrow blackish transverse pattern and a wide black apical stripe; the ventral side is ocher or brown with a dark and light transverse pattern. Sometimes the color (this is also associated with geographical distribution) is dominated by a reddish-brown or ocher-brown color; There are also birds of a uniform dark brown color or dark brown with a light brown striated tail.

Young birds are generally colored similarly to adults, but on the ventral side they usually do not have a transverse pattern, there are longitudinal dark markings on the chest and sometimes on the belly, and on the dorsal side the light edges of the feathers are more developed. The iris is brown, the beak and claws are blackish, the wax and legs are yellow.

The common buzzard is widespread in the forest and forest-steppe zones of Europe and Asia. It is not found south of the Himalayas. In addition, it is found in the Azores and Canary Islands, on the island of Madeira and the Cape Verde Islands. In Eastern Europe and Asia, buzzards are migratory; in other parts of the breeding area they are sedentary. In wintering grounds, buzzards are found in Central Asia, Pakistan, northern India, Burma, Southern China, and sub-Saharan Africa.

The common buzzard nests in tall trees, usually near forest edges. Often nests are used for several years in a row. The nest is constructed from fairly thick twigs and branches, usually lined with green twigs, rags, etc. Laying occurs in April, in Eastern Siberia in early May. There are 2-4, sometimes 5 eggs in a clutch. The number of eggs in a clutch is greater in those years when there is a “harvest” of the buzzards’ main food - mouse-like rodents. The eggs are mottled, with chestnut-brown markings on a whitish-greenish background.

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Both parents incubate, mainly the female. Incubation duration is about 35 days. The chicks fly out of the nest at the age of 42-49 days.

The common buzzard is a polyphagous animal, but the main place in its diet is occupied by mouse-like rodents and other small mammals - moles, shrews, even hares. In addition, the buzzard feeds on young chicks, reptiles, frogs, and sometimes - especially in winter - carrion. Economically, the common buzzard, like its closest relatives, should be considered very useful, which is why it is protected in many countries.

Rough-legged buzzard or rough-legged buzzard(B. 1agopus), is the northernmost representative of the group, having a circumpolar distribution. This bird is so named because its tarsus is feathered down to the toes. The dimensions of the buzzard are as follows: total length 51-61 cm, wingspan 120-150 cm, wing length 38.5-47.5 cm, weight 800-1300 g. Females, as usual, are larger than males.

Adult buzzards have the following color: the dorsal side is dark brown with an admixture of white or blackish color; primary flight feathers with a grayish coating, with a blurred dark transverse pattern and whitish bases of the internal webs; tail feathers are white with a thin black transverse pattern and a wide black apical stripe; the ventral side is white with a dark spot on the crop, with dark brown longitudinal markings and with transverse stripes on the belly, sides and leg feathers.

Young birds in the first annual plumage are paler, without blackish tones, without a transverse pattern on the ventral side; The transverse pattern is also poorly developed on the tail feathers. Buzzards of North America also have a uniform brown color variation.

The iris is pale brown, the beak and claws are blackish, the wax and legs are black.

The Rough-legged Buzzard nests in open areas in the tundra and forest-tundra zones of Eurasia and North America (north to approximately 75° N latitude). A migratory bird that winters in southern Europe, Central and Central Asia and the southern parts of the USA.

Nests are built from twigs and located on the ground, rarely on trees or rocks. The number of eggs in a clutch varies depending on feeding conditions, mainly on the number of lemmings. Usually there are 3-4 eggs in a clutch, in good years up to 7, in bad years 2-3. In the absence of lemmings, buzzards do not reproduce at all. The female incubates for 30-35 days. The chicks fly out of the nests at the age of 6-7 weeks.

Buzzards, as indicated, feed mainly on lemmings and other small northern mammals (voles, hares, and among predators - weasels, stoats), in addition, birds (chicks) and carrion.

Ruff-legged Buzzard(V. hemilasius) - large bird: total length 61-72 cm, wing length 45-50 cm.

The general coloration of adult birds on the dorsal side is brown with buffy edges of feathers, the tail is brown with a blackish transverse pattern, the ventral side is buffy with a brown longitudinal and transverse pattern. There is also a more or less monochromatic dark brown variation. Juveniles without transverse markings on the ventral side. The tarsus is feathered down to the fingers or at least half the length. The iris is pale brown or yellowish, the beak and claws are black, the wax and legs are yellow.

The Ruffed Buzzard is a bird of the open spaces of Central Asia, where it is found from the Central Tien Shan, South-Eastern Altai, South-East Transbaikalia, Mongolia, south to Tibet and Nepal.

It is found in the mountains and plains, along dry steppe areas. Sedentary or partially nomadic species. Nests on rocks and on the ground. There are 2-4 motley eggs in the clutch. Incubation lasts about a month; the chicks begin to fly at the age of about 45 days.

The long-legged buzzard is a typical myophage; its main food consists of animals ranging in size from a hare to a vole. Birds, reptiles, amphibians, and large insects occupy an insignificant place in the diet of the long-legged buzzard.

A species close to the Buzzard - Buzzard(B. rufinus) somewhat smaller in size: total length 57-65 cm, wing length 41-48 cm. The tarsus are not feathered.

The color is very variable. Adult birds are brown on the dorsal side with an admixture of buffy or bright red color along the edges of the feathers; flight feathers black with whitish bases; the tail ones are whitish-ochre, single-colored or with reddish-brown transverse markings; The ventral side is buffy with a reddish-brown pattern. There is also a dark brown variation. Juveniles are similar in color to adults. The unfeathered parts are colored like those of the Buzzard.

The Buzzard inhabits steppes, semi-deserts and deserts, and is found in the mountains and plains. Breeds in North Africa, South-Eastern Europe, Western and Central Asia, south to north-west Pakistan. In the USSR it is found from the Ciscaucasia and lower reaches of the Volga through Southwestern Siberia and Kazakhstan east to Zaisan, south to Transcaucasia, Turkmenistan, Pamir, Tien Shan. In the northern part of the breeding area it is migratory, in the south it is sedentary.

In terms of lifestyle it is very close to the rough-legged buzzard.

Hawk buzzard(Butastur indicus) is distributed in East Asia - in Japan, Northern China, in the USSR in Primorye to the west to the Lesser Khingan, to the north to the mouth of the Burei. This is a medium-sized bird (wing length 31-34 cm), with relatively long and wide wings, a long straight-cut tail, long tarsus, unfeathered for most of its length, covered with small scutes, and short fingers and claws.

Adult males and females are similarly colored, brown on the dorsal side with striated flight feathers and tail feathers; head greyish; The ventral side is whitish with a dark brown stripe along the throat and transverse brown stripes on the chest and belly. Young birds in the first annual plumage are brown on the dorsal side, buffy on the ventral side with a longitudinal brown pattern on the chest, belly and plumage of the lower leg, with brown transverse spots on the sides. Head feathers with light edges. The beak and claws are black, the iris, cere and legs are yellow.

The hawk buzzard lives in deciduous or mixed forests, alternating with open spaces, preferring places close to swamps or reservoirs, which is due to the fact that its main food is amphibians. In addition, it feeds on lizards, snakes, and small rodents. It nests on trees. Clutch of 2-4 white eggs, in early May. Reproduction details not well studied. Migratory bird, wintering in Southeast Asia and in small numbers on the Indo-Australian islands.

A special group of birds of prey is formed by vultures Old World.

Black vulture(Aegypius monachus), also called gray or brown, is a huge bird: total length 75-100 cm, wing length 72-85 cm, weight 7-12 kg. The head is massive, covered, like the upper part of the neck, with short down. The beak is strong with round nostrils, adapted for dismembering large carrion. The wings are wide and long, the tail has 12 tail feathers. On the lower part of the neck is a necklace of long, pointed feathers. The eyes are large and protruding.

The general coloration of adult birds is dark brown. The sides and back of the neck are unfeathered and pale meat-colored. The beak is yellow-brown, the legs are grayish-yellow, the iris is dark brown, almost black. Young birds are mostly black in color with a black beak.

The black vulture is a sedentary bird of the mountains and foothills, nesting in Southern Europe, North Africa, Western, Central and Central Asia. In the Soviet Union, it is found in the mountains of Southern Crimea, where it is very rare and sporadic, as well as in the Caucasus, Central Asia, where it is relatively numerous; in a small number - in southeastern Altai. Unlike barn owls, the black vulture nests in pairs, and not in groups or colonies, and, moreover, in trees, therefore it is associated with the forest belt of the mountains. However, in Mongolia and other areas of Central Asia, the black vulture nests on rock ledges. The nest is a huge structure made of twigs lined with thin branches, dry grass, wool, etc. Clutches of 1-2 eggs, variegated, with reddish-brown markings on a white background.

Both parents incubate for 55 days. The nesting period lasts 3-3.5 months.

The black vulture feeds on carrion. N.M. Przhevalsky wrote about its feeding habits (typical of other vultures): “The bird circles in the clouds for days on end, so high that, despite its size, it is completely invisible to the naked eye. However, from such a distance, the vulture can discern what is happening on the ground, and, noticing the carrion, around which crows, magpies and kites usually swarm, it pulls up its wings and, like a bomb, falls from above onto the prey. The first vulture is followed by others who have seen the maneuver of their comrade, so that dozens of huge birds soon gather on the carrion and begin to eat with noise and fights. Having eaten their fill, the vultures fly away or, more often, sit right there a little further away and watch the feast of their newly arriving comrades. The gluttony of vultures is so great that while eating they pay little attention to the hunter and even after shots they return to carrion. It is remarkable that a vulture, rushing from under the clouds with terrible speed towards carrion, is able, with such a movement, to discern what is happening on the ground. My friend and I witnessed a similar incident. One day our camel, who was going to pasture, lay down to rest and fell on his side. The animal continued to lie in this position for some time, and suddenly, high in the clouds, we noticed a black dot that was quickly approaching the ground and which we immediately recognized as a vulture. To our extreme surprise, the bird, having not reached the ground three hundred steps, suddenly spread its wings and flew to the side. Looking at the lying camel, we saw that it stood up, so that the vulture, who mistook the resting animal for a corpse, immediately noticed his mistake, despite the terrible speed of its downward movement.” As mentioned, the black vulture feeds mainly on carrion, but sometimes attacks lambs, marmots and turtles.

To the family of vultures(Gyps) are large birds that feed on carrion. They are characterized by a relatively low beak with slit-like nostrils, a long neck covered with down, bordered by a necklace of down, a narrow head, wide wings with long primary flight feathers, a short straight-cut tail of 14 tail feathers. In the fauna of the USSR there are 2 species.

Griffon Vulture(G. fulvus) is distributed in North Africa, Southern Europe, on the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, in the Crimea, in Western and Central Asia. Sedentary, mainly mountain bird.

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The color of adult birds is light brown, the necklace and down on the head and neck are white. The flight feathers and tail feathers are black and brown. Young birds are paler and more uniform in color. The full outfit is donned at the age of four. The beak is yellowish-white, the iris is reddish-orange, and the legs are dark gray. The total length of the lily is slightly more than 1 m, the wing length is 70-75 cm.

The griffon vulture nests early, which is associated with the slow development of the chicks. Nests on rocks, cliffs and cornices. They are built from branches with a bedding of twigs or dry grass. Nests are located in groups or small colonies (in our country from 2-3 to 20 pairs). The clutch contains 1 (rarely 2) white (sometimes with brown spots) egg. Both parents incubate for approximately 50 days. The chicks stay in the nest for at least 3 months.

Barn owls feed on the meat of dead animals, both more or less decomposed and fresh. With its strong beak, the vulture opens the abdominal cavity, usually starting from the anus, and eats away the internal organs and muscles, leaving the skin and bones intact. The chicks are fed, like other vultures, by the belching of their parents. Barn owls do not attack living animals. Like other carrion eaters, barn owls readily drink.

A species very close to the griffon vulture - Himalayan or snowy vulture, aka kumai(G. himalayensis). It is characteristic of the high-mountainous regions of Central and Central Asia, nesting at altitudes from 2000 to 5200 m, above the upper limit of the forest. In the USSR it is found in the Tien Shan and Pamirs. It is similar in color to the griffon vulture, but noticeably paler; adult birds do not have a downy collar, it is replaced by a necklace of narrow pointed feathers; the underwings are white. Huge bird: weighs 8-12 kg, total length 125-150 cm. Its lifestyle is similar to the griffon vulture.

Long-eared vultures(Torgos) get their name because they have a large “ear-like” skin blade on each side of their neck. The head of these vultures is completely naked, even without fluff. These are one of the largest vultures and lead a typical vulture lifestyle. Belongs to the genus Torgos African long-eared vulture(T. tracheliotus), distributed from subtropical and tropical East Africa to the Cape Province. Close to it Indian long-eared vulture(Sarcogyps calvus), distributed in SOUTH ASIA FROM INDIA AND Burma to Indochina.

A special group among the vultures of the Old World are the so-called vultures. One of them - brown vulture(Necrosyrtes monachus) is distributed in tropical and subtropical Africa. Another kind - common vulture(Neophron percnopterus) nests in the Mediterranean, Africa, Western, Central and Southern Asia, in the Soviet Union - in the Crimea, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

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The common vulture is a bird of medium (for a small vulture) size: total length 65-75 cm, wing length 45-52 cm, weight 2-2.5 kg. The beak is long and narrow. The plumage of the face and crop is with downy feathers, on the back of the head there is a crest of elongated and pointed feathers, and a necklace on the neck. The wings are long, the tail is made of 14 feathers, wedge-shaped. The color of the plumage of adult birds is whitish with a yellowish or pinkish tint, the flight feathers are black-brown. The bare skin of the face is orange, the legs are reddish, the iris is yellowish, and brown in young ones. Young birds in the first plumage are dark brown with buffy-reddish streaks. The final (adult) outfit is worn at the age of four. The coloration of males and females is similar.

In the north of the nesting area, the vulture is a migratory bird. It lives in the mountains and foothills, among arid landscapes.

The vulture nests on rocks, on the slopes of clay hills, in the ruins of human buildings, and sometimes in trees (India). There are usually 2, less often 1, eggs in a clutch. The eggs are yellowish-white, covered with dense brownish-red speckles. Both parents incubate for approximately 40 days. In the USSR, the breeding season begins early: in March - April, birds already have clutches.

The vulture feeds mainly on carrion and waste, as well as vertebrate excrement and live prey - reptiles, in particular turtles, small mammals, and plant food - dates. Vultures readily drink water and bathe.

Palm vulture or vulture eagle(Gypohierax angolensis) is a large bird, with a total length of 50-60 cm. The head is small on a long neck, the face and part of the crop are not feathered. Paws with long fingers and claws. The beak is relatively long, but narrow. The wings are long, slightly rounded, the tail is short and rounded. In general build it resembles eagles. The general coloration of adult birds is white with black humeri and flight feathers and a black base of the tail. Juveniles are uniformly brown. The iris is yellowish-orange, the beak is gray, the wax and bare parts of the head are reddish-orange, the legs are meat-colored. Full plumage is worn in the fourth year.

The vulture eagle is widespread in tropical Africa near bodies of water, both near the sea coast and near rivers. It is most often found where palm trees are numerous, especially the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) and the wine palm (raffia), the fruits of which form an essential element in the vulture eagle's diet.

The vulture eagle breeds during the dry season. The nests are large structures on the tops of tall trees. Both parents build nests. There is only 1 white egg in the clutch, heavily mottled with brown marks. The chicks are fed palm fruits. Details of nesting life are almost unknown.

In addition to palm fruits, vulture eagles feed on carrion, sea waste, crustaceans, and sometimes even extract insect larvae from the bark. They eat birds and small mammals extremely rarely.

Bearded vulture, or vulture(Gypaetus barbatus) is a large, beautiful bird that has been the subject of much controversy. Which birds is it closer to: vultures or eagles? Is it a harmless scavenger or dangerous for large animals, even humans? Only recently have answers to these questions been received.

The bearded man is a vulture, but not a typical one. Unlike other vultures, its head and neck are feathered, its wings are long and sharp, and its tail is long and wedge-shaped. The feet and claws are stronger than those of typical vultures. Wing length 75-80 cm, total length about or slightly more than 1 M, weight about 6.5 kg.

An adult bearded vulture has a light-colored head, neck and ventral side, ranging from whitish to bright red; there is a black spot near the eye and on the frenulum; under the beak there is a tuft of black hair-like feathers forming a beard (hence the name of the bird); the dorsal side is a beautiful grayish-brownish tone with white feather trunks; in the area of ​​the crown and back of the head there are black marks; There are often dark brown marks on the crop. Full plumage is worn after several moults, apparently at the age of 5 years. Young birds have a black head and black neck, brownish-grayish coloring on the ventral side, dark brown on the dorsal side. The iris in adult birds is whitish or yellowish with a red border (sclerotica), in young birds it is brown. The beak is bluish-gray, the legs are gray.

The bearded vulture is widespread in the mountainous areas of Southern Europe, Eastern and Southern Africa, Western and Central Asia, at altitudes from approximately 1500 to 3000 m, sometimes higher (in the Himalayas it is recorded at altitudes of more than 7000 m). A resident bird not found on the plains.

Bearded vulture numbers in Central and Western Europe have declined as a result of human persecution. In the Swiss Alps, the last bird was exterminated in 1886 or 1887; in Bavaria, in 1855. It has also become rare in the Balkans. In the Caucasus, and especially in Central and Central Asia, the bearded vulture is still a common bird.

Since the development of bearded vulture chicks continues for a very long time, their nesting begins early. For example, on the southern slope of the Caucasus Range and the Tien Shan, bearded vultures begin laying eggs as early as February. The nest is located in rock crevices or caves; it is made of branches, slightly covered with dry grass; Sometimes old dry bones are used to build a nest. There are usually 2 eggs in a clutch, but, as a rule, only one chick develops and grows. The eggs are mottled. The chicks hatch in April, reach full height and fledge in late June - early July, but stay with their parents until autumn (September). The female incubates predominantly for about two months. The nesting area of ​​bearded vultures occupies several square kilometers.

The bearded vulture feeds mainly on carrion, largely on bones, which are easily digested in its stomach; The bearded vulture's digestive glands reach a very large development. The bearded man also attacks sick and weak animals and does not neglect fresh carrion. He also catches turtles, which he allegedly breaks, throwing them from a height onto rocks. There are observations, although not numerous, that the bearded vulture sometimes attacks healthy ungulates, throwing them with wing strikes from cliffs into the abyss. Finally, some authors report that the bearded man used the same method of attack against people, but the reliability of this information is more than doubtful.

Group of harriers in many respects similar to hawks, but differs in that they are mainly non-forest birds. They are common in open landscapes (meadows, steppes, fields) and in plant thickets near water bodies. They nest on the ground. These are birds of light build, with long wings and tail, long tarsus and relatively short toes. All harriers are characterized by the presence of a so-called facial disc - a kind of collar that runs along the sides of the head behind the ear, at the throat and resembles a similar structure of the facial plumage of owls. Unlike hawks, harriers are characterized by significant differences in the coloring of males and females. Harriers are very widespread, found everywhere except the Far North and Antarctica. Harriers usually take food on the ground, gliding low over it with their wings raised up.

As a typical representative of the actual harriers living in our country, we can describe harrier(Circus cyaneus).

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Total length 45-56 cm, wingspan 100-125 cm, wing length 33-40 cm, weight 300-600 g. Females are noticeably larger than males. The coloration of adult males and females is sharply different. In males (two years old and older) the dorsal side is pale gray, “gray-haired” (“gray-haired like a harrier”); rump white; the front primaries have a black tip, the rest are grey-gray, all with whitish bases of the inner webs; the middle tail ones are grey-gray, the rest are grey-gray on the outer webs, white with brownish streaks on the inner webs; the ventral side is white; the throat, crop, and sometimes the chest are bluish. The beak is black, the iris is yellow, the claws are black, the wax and paws are yellow. In females, the dorsal side is brown with buffy spots, with striated flight feathers and tail feathers; The ventral side is buffy with a brown transverse pattern. Young birds in the first year are similar in color to females, but the general color background of the ventral side is buffy, the rufous borders on the back and wings are well developed. There is an intermediate one between the first annual outfit and the final one.

The Harrier is widespread in Europe and ASIA, from the southern borders of the tundra to the Mediterranean countries, Asia Minor, Iran, Central Asia, Mongolia and Northern China, in North America from Canada to the southern USA. In the southern part of the range it is a sedentary or nomadic bird, in the north, particularly in the Soviet Union, it is a migratory bird. The Hen Harrier inhabits open landscapes - fields, meadows of river valleys, forest moss swamps, forest-steppe areas and steppes. It is found in these areas both on the plains and in the mountains (up to altitudes exceeding 2000 m).

Harrier nests are located on the ground, built from twigs and grass. In Europe, clutches of 4-5, sometimes 6 white eggs are found in May. Incubation lasts about a month or a little more. The female incubates, to whom the male brings food. At the age of about 35 days, the chicks leave the nest.

The food of the harrier consists of animals that it takes from the ground: small animals (field mice, etc.), small passerine birds (bunkings, pipits, larks), chicks and eggs of birds nesting on the ground, less often lizards, large insects.

Meadow Harrier(C. pygargus) is smaller than the hen harrier: total length 41-52 cm, wingspan 100-115 cm, wing length 34-39 CM/, weight 260-380 g. Females, as usual, are larger than males in size.

Age-related changes and differences in coloration between males and females are significant. Adult males (four years and older) are brownish-gray on the dorsal side with a white rump, on which there are brown or gray streaks; the front primaries are black, the rest are gray with narrow black transverse stripes; The middle tail ones are gray, the side ones are whitish with a rufous transverse pattern. The throat, crop and chest are bluish-gray; the belly, sides, and undertail are white with red longitudinal markings. Adult females are similar to female hen harriers, but have longitudinal brownish markings on the rump. In the first annual plumage, young of both sexes are generally similar to females. The iris is yellow, the beak and claws are black, the paws and cere are yellow.

The meadow harrier breeds in Europe from England, the Netherlands, Denmark, East Germany, southern Sweden, the Baltic states, the central zone of the European part of the USSR south to Hungary, Romania, the Mediterranean, Crimea, as well as in Iran, Central Asia, in Siberia to Tyumen, Tara, Krasnoyarsk; also in North Africa (Algeria, Morocco). A migratory bird that winters in India, Pakistan and sub-Saharan Africa.

The meadow harrier nests on the ground, usually in a damp meadow OR near water. In the USSR, laying occurs in the first half of May. The clutch contains 3-5, sometimes 6 eggs, white, occasionally with brown specks. The female incubates for about a month. The male carries food for the brooding female and the chicks. The chicks fly out of the nest at the age of about 35 days and only after a week they acquire full flight ability.

The meadow harrier feeds mainly on small animals (field mice, etc.), in addition, small birds, especially flightless chicks, also lizards, small snakes, frogs and large insects (locusts, Coleoptera).

Steppe Harrier(C. macrourus) has the following dimensions: total length 43.5-52.5 cm, wingspan 99-120 cm, wing length 31-37.5 cm, weight 310-550 g. Females are noticeably larger than males.

The color of adult males on the dorsal side is pale gray; the rump is white with a gray transverse pattern; primary flight feathers are gray with a white base of the inner webs and a black tip of the 2nd-6th feathers; The middle tails are gray, the side tails are brown with a gray transverse pattern. The ventral side is white, the throat and crop are pale gray. Adult females resemble female hen harriers, but differ from the latter in the buffy-brown markings on the rump. Young birds in their first annual plumage are similar to Hen Harriers of the same age, but their ventral side is the same color red. The iris in adult birds is yellow, in young birds it is brown, the beak and claws are black, the wax and paws are yellow. The final outfit is put on after three molts.

The steppe harrier is widespread in Eurasia from Romania and Ukraine to Southern Siberia, east to Altai, south-west Transbaikalia and to Xinjiang (Dzungaria) in China, north to the Baltic States, the central zone of the European part of the USSR, in Siberia approximately to Tyumen, Omsk, Krasnoyarsk; south to the Crimea, the Caucasus, Iran and the eastern parts of Central Asia. A migratory bird inhabiting open areas in the steppe and forest-steppe, both on the plains and in the lower mountain belt. Wintering in South Asia, East and Southern Africa.

Nests on the ground, clutch in May of 3-5, usually 4 eggs, white, occasionally mottled. Incubation is about a month; young birds become winged at the age of about 40 days. The diet is similar to that of the meadow harrier.

Piebald Harrier(C. melanoleucus) is close in size to the steppe: total length 41.5-46 cm, wingspan 105-115 cm, wing length 34.5-37.5 cm. Females, as usual, are larger than males.

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Like other harriers, the coloration undergoes more or less complex age-related changes. In adult males (two years old and older), the head, back, middle wing coverts, and primaries are black; Greater wing coverts, secondaries and tail feathers are gray; lesser wing coverts, greater shoulder coverts, rump white. The ventral side is white, the throat and chest are black. In adult females, the feathers on the dorsal side are dark brown with light edges; the lesser wing coverts and rump are white; the rump has longitudinal rufous markings; The flight feathers are dark brown with a light transverse pattern at the base; the tail ones are grayish-brown with dark brown transverse stripes; The ventral side is whitish with brown longitudinal markings. Young birds in their first annual plumage are colored similarly in both sexes: their dorsal side is dark brown with rusty-buff feather edges, with a reddish crown and dark brown streaks on the back of the head; the rump is buffy-reddish with brown longitudinal markings; The flight feathers are blackish-brown with a reddish transverse pattern on the inner webs; the middle tail ones are dark brown, the rest are reddish-brown with a blackish-brown striped pattern; the ventral side is brownish-brown. The iris in adult birds is yellow, in young birds it is brown. The beak and claws are black, the wax and paws are yellow.

The piebald harrier nests in East Asia: in Northern China and adjacent parts of Mongolia, in the USSR from Transbaikalia to the Amur region. Migratory bird inhabiting the cultural landscape, meadows, swamps; preference is given to damp places. Winters in South and Southeast Asia.

In early May, the mating flight is observed; in mid-May, piebald harriers already have nests, usually located among dense grass or bushes. The clutch contains 4-5 eggs, white or white-greenish, sometimes slightly speckled. It is mainly the female who incubates. The chicks hatch in June; the incubation period, like other harriers, is about one month. Fledglings occur in the first half of August.

The piebald harrier, like other harriers, takes its food from the ground. In terms of feeding regime, it is similar to other harriers: it catches small rodents, sometimes insectivores, frogs, small birds (especially chicks), and large insects.

At the marsh harrier(C. aeruginosus), like other harriers, females are much larger than males. Its dimensions are as follows: total length 49-60 cm, wingspan 110-140 cm, wing length 36-43 cm, weight 500-750 g. Age-related changes and gender differences in color are significant. The color of adult males consists of gray, white, brown (in western individuals) or black (in eastern individuals) colors; the crown is brown or black with ocher edges of the feathers; coverts, secondaries, tail racemes silvery-gray; the back and shoulders are brown (in western birds) or black with a more or less developed light pattern (in eastern birds); the front primaries have a whitish base and a black tip. Adult females have a buffy head with dark spots, a brown dorsal side of the body with buffy markings on the wing coverts and shoulder ones; lesser wing coverts greyish; the ventral side is brown with a buffy spot on the chest; tail feathers are brown with a grayish coating (in western birds) or brown with dark transverse stripes (in eastern birds). Juveniles in the first nesting plumage are similar to adult females, but without the grayish color on the lesser wing coverts and with narrower longitudinal markings on the crown. The iris is yellow, the beak and claws are black, the wax and legs are yellow.

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The marsh harrier is distributed in temperate Europe and Asia (east to Mongolia and Manchuria), in North-West Africa, on the Reunion Islands and Madagascar, in Australia.

In the northern part of the distribution area, it is a migratory bird, wintering mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia (sometimes further north, for example, in the Mediterranean near Western Asia, in Western Asia, near the Southern Caspian Sea).

It nests in swampy areas overgrown with reeds and reeds near water bodies. The nests are well hidden among plant thickets, less often among coastal bushes. A clutch of 4-5, rarely 2 or 6 eggs, usually occurs in the USSR in early May. The eggs are white, sometimes with a greenish tint and ocher streaks. The female incubates for a little more than a month (33-36 days). The nesting period is somewhat less than two months.

The food of swamp harriers consists of small birds (starlings, larks, buntings, etc.), as well as young, less often adult birds of medium size (ducks, rails, gulls); Eggs, half-dead fish, and frogs are readily eaten. Finally, the marsh harrier also catches small animals, especially rodents.

Group of snake eaters represented by several species of birds that feed mainly on reptiles. These birds have a large head, long and wide wings, legs with long, weakly feathered tarsus and relatively short toes, with sharp and steeply curved claws. They are distributed almost exclusively in South Asia and Africa.

Found in the Soviet Union common snake eagle(Circaetus gallicus). The total length of the snake eagle is 67-72 cm, the wingspan is 160-190 cm, the wing length is 52-60 cm. Females are larger than males. Both sexes are colored the same. The general coloration of the dorsal side of adult birds is grayish-brown with black-brown primary anterior primaries; the hind primaries have a whitish pattern at the base; tail brown with 2-4 black-brown transverse stripes; the ventral side is pale brown and buffy with a brown longitudinal and transverse pattern. Young birds are similar in color to adults, but often with a buffy tint on the dorsal side, and the markings on the ventral side are usually only longitudinal. The iris is bright yellow, the beak is gray-brown, the claws are black, the cere is grayish or yellowish, the paws are bluish-gray.

The common snake eagle nests in Southern and Central Europe, North-West Africa, the Caucasus, Western and Central Asia, South-Western Siberia, northern Mongolia, south to Pakistan and India. Migratory bird in the northern parts of the breeding area. Inhabits forests in the north, and dry areas in the south, at least with individual trees.

The common snake eagle nests on isolated trees or on trees at forest edges, high from the ground. In rare cases, snake-eaters nest on rocks (Kazakhstan). The birds themselves build the nests. Nests are large structures that are used for many years in a row.

There are 1-2 white eggs in the clutch. Both parents incubate, the incubation period is about 40 days. The chicks begin to fledge at the age of 70-80 days.

The snake eagle feeds mainly on snakes (hence the name), as well as other reptiles, frogs, small animals and birds that stay on the ground.

Several species of forest birds - the so-called crested snake eagle(Spilornis), distributed in South Asia, the Indonesian archipelago and the Philippines. In their lifestyle, they are similar to other snake eaters, and snakes, including poisonous species, occupy the main place in the food diet of these birds.

The group of snake eaters includes the so-called buffoon eagle, or buffoon(Taghopius ecaudatus). The bird received the name buffoon eagle for the remarkable aerial acrobatic exercises that it performs during the breeding season. The fiddler differs from typical snake-eaters in the unfeathered skin of the frenulum, the presence of a short crest on the back of the head, wide wings (with 26 secondary wings), and a very short, straight-cut tail. The total length of the sea eagle is 44-62 cm, the wing length is 58-60 cm, the tail length is only about 13 cm. Adult males have a black head, black neck and ventral side of the body; the back is brown in different shades; wings black with white underwings; The shoulders are whitish-grayish or buffy with black markings. Females are colored similarly to males, but with grayish secondaries mottled with black. Juveniles in the first annual plumage are grayish-brown on the dorsal side, with a paler head and ventral side, covered with whitish, indistinct streaks. The iris is dark brown, the wax and bare skin of the face are orange in adults, blackish or greenish in young ones. The beak and claws are blackish, the legs are orange-red in adults, bluish in juveniles. Age-related changes are significant, and birds apparently receive their final coloration only at the age of six.

The buffalo eagle is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, but avoids dense tropical forests. It is a characteristic bird of the savannah.

Nests in trees, most often on acacias, are relatively small, made of branches. The buffoon eagle reproduces poorly. The clutch contains only 1 white egg with a few reddish spots. The female incubates for one and a half months. The chicks begin to fly only after three, and according to other sources, after four months.

The buffoon eagle feeds mainly on snakes, as well as lizards, turtles and small mammals (rodents, insectivores), and sometimes attacks larger animals, for example, small antelopes. It feeds on bird eggs, locusts and carrion. Attacks vultures and other scavengers and causes them to regurgitate their food. Thus, the food of the buffoon eagle is less specialized compared to other snake eagle.

Birds of Russia. Wikipedia Reference

Contents 1 Order: Loons (Gaviiformes) 1.1 Family: Loons (Gaviidae) ... Wikipedia

Appearance and behavior. A small predator, the male is about the size of a pigeon, the female is slightly smaller than a crow. Males weigh 100–220 g with a body length of 28–34 cm and a wingspan of 55–65 cm, females weigh 180–340 g with a body length of 35–41 cm and a wingspan of 67–80 cm.

The body is light, the shanks are thin, the fingers are long, especially the middle one. The head is rounded, the beak is relatively small, the ridge of the beak does not form a smooth transition to the line of the forehead.

The look is not as piercing and “evil” as that of the goshawk.

Description. An adult male is slate-gray above and light below, with narrow chestnut-red or rusty transverse streaks forming small “ripples”.

The chin and cheeks have longitudinal streaks, the undertail is whitish, without streaks. The adult female is gray-brown above and light below with wider brown or gray transverse stripes on the chest and belly. Birds of both sexes have a narrow white eyebrow above the eye; with raised (ruffled) plumage, the white bases of the scapular feathers and white spots on the back of the head are sometimes visible.

The wings look uniform on top, cross-striped below, and 4 evenly distributed dark transverse bands are visible on the gray tail above and below. The young individual has a brown dorsal side, with dark spots and ocher edges of feathers, a light ventral side with brown longitudinal streaks on the throat and chest, transverse streaks on the belly and arrow-shaped ones on the sides, less regular and larger than those of the female.

The iris is yellow (in the male - to orange, in the young bird - pale), the cere is yellow (adults) to grayish (young), the beak is dark.

The female can be confused with a male goshawk in size and color, but up close a different shape of the head and beak, a narrow (rather than wide) white eyebrow, and thin legs are clearly visible. The flying sparrowhawk has a shorter neck, a relatively longer tail, narrower at the base, with a straight, rather than rounded, tip; the wings look larger and wider compared to the size of the body; when hovering, they are slightly moved forward relative to the body.

The flight is maneuverable, with alternating flapping and gliding, easier than that of the goshawk; The sparrowhawk can soar and glide for a long time, spreading its tail like a fan.

The sparrowhawk differs from the European sparrowhawk in the color of its eyes, the presence of an eyebrow, a two-colored cheek, thin long tarsus and fingers, the female - by the absence of a chin line, the male - by larger ripples on the chest.

Juveniles of these species are clearly distinguished by the nature of the streaks on the underside of the body. The flying adult sparrowhawk, unlike the tyuvik, has non-dark and more blunted wing tips and a tail evenly covered with transverse stripes, including the middle pair of tail feathers. At any age, the sparrowhawk differs from small falcons in its body proportions, elongated legs, wider wings with rounded tips, and light eyes.

Distribution, status. Widely distributed in extratropical Eurasia from the northern taiga to the Mediterranean (including the mountains of North Africa), Iran, and the Himalayas.

From west to east, its range extends from the Canary Islands and Western Europe to Japan and Kamchatka.

From northern Europe, Siberia, and the Far East, it migrates south for the winter; part of the population winters in the tropics and subtropics of Asia and northeast Africa. In most of its range it is one of the most common predators.

Lifestyle. Inhabits a wide variety of forest and edge biotopes, prefers a mosaic alternation of forest areas and edges in the forest and forest-steppe zones, and river floodplains in the steppe zone.

It readily settles in agricultural landscapes, does not avoid the outskirts of populated areas, and even nests in urban forest parks. In the mountains it is found up to an altitude of 5,000 meters above sea level.

Flies far into the tundra, in open steppes and deserts it is found only on migrations. Prey is almost exclusively small birds, rarely small rodents and insects; the female can prey on hazel grouse and crows. It usually hunts by attacking from an ambush, or steals a bird in a stealthy search flight low above the ground.

Pairs are attached to a permanent nesting site, appear on it in March or April, and every spring they build a new small nest, usually well hidden in the crown of a tree near the trunk.

The clutch contains 3–6 whitish eggs with rusty or brown spots. The female incubates for 32–35 days, starting with the second or third egg. Both downy coats of the chicks are white, with a beige tint. First, the male feeds the brood, then the female begins to hunt. The behavior of birds at the nest varies, from cautious to very aggressive.

Feeding the chicks in the nest lasts about a month. They become sexually mature after 1–3 years of life.

Sparrowhawk or Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

Other species in this family:

Accipitridae family

Accipitridae (lat. Accipitridae) - a family of falcon-like birds.

Found on all continents except Antarctica and some oceanic islands, they are most diverse and numerous in the tropics.

There are cosmopolitan species whose range covers several parts of the world; island forms have a single-point range. They are found in a wide variety of landscape types: forests, tundras, steppes, deserts, in mountains up to an altitude of 7000 meters above sea level.

Typical predators with the appearance of an eagle, buzzard, kite, hawk, vulture, with a wide range of variations in morphological characteristics and lifestyle features.

The word "hawk" undoubtedly comes from the verb "to exterminate." The sizes vary greatly.

The beak is compressed from the sides, the ridge of the upper beak closer to the apex is sharply curved downwards, while the mandible is straight.

The eyes are large (approximately 1% of body weight), noticeably directed forward, which provides a large field of binocular vision.

Birds of Prey: photos with names and descriptions

Visual acuity is approximately 8 times superior to that of humans.

The plumage is rigid, contour feathers with a well-developed down part and a side shaft.

Almost all species are carnivores. An exception is the African vulture eagle, or palm vulture (Gypohierax angolensis), which feeds primarily on the fruits of several types of palm trees. Many species are specialized.

Entomophages are honey buzzards and smoky kites, ichthyophages are sea eagles, myophages are many buzzards and light harriers), herpetophages are snake eagle and buffoon eagle, ornithophages are hawks and marsh harrier, and scavengers are vultures. But the majority are polyphages with a wide range of nutrition. Foraging methods are varied.

Undigested food remains - bones, wool, feathers, chitin - are excreted in the form of pellets.

Taxonomy

All accipitridae are divided into 5-10 subfamilies, mainly based on morphological characteristics.

However, some taxa in these groups have deviated significantly from the main mass, and yet they still occupy their modern position, since they fall closest to these groups. The phylogeny and systematics of accipitridae are the subject of scientific debate.

Today, the taxonomy of hawks looks like this:

• Subfamily Smoky kites (Elaninae) - 8 species
  • Genus Smoky kites (Elanus)
  • Genus Chelictinia
  • Genus Broad-mouthed kites (Machaerhamphus)
  • Genus Little kites (Gampsonyx)
  • Genus Fork-tailed kites (Elanoides)

• Subfamily Honey Buzzards (Perninae) - ca.
  • Genus Crested kites (Aviceda)
  • Genus Long-tailed buzzard (Hernicopernis)
  • Genus True honey beetles (Pernis)
  • Genus Cayenne kites (Leptodon)
  • Genus Long-billed kites (Chondrohierax)

• Subfamily Vultures (Aegypiinae) - ca. 15 types
  • Genus Indian long-eared vultures (Sarcogyps)
  • Genus Black vultures (Aegypius)
  • Genus African long-eared vultures (Torgos)
  • Genus African white-throated vultures (Trigonoceps)
  • Genus Vultures (Gyps)
  • Genus Vultures (Neophron)
  • Genus Brown vultures (Necrosyrtes)
  • Genus Palm vultures (Gypohierax)
  • Genus Lambs (Gypaetus)

• Buzzard subfamily (Buteoninae) - ca.

  100 modern species

  • Genus Eagle buzzards (Geranoaetus)
  • Genus True buzzards (Buteo)
  • Genus Desert buzzards (Parabuteo)
  • Genus Black buzzards (Buteogallus)
  • Genus Fishing buzzard (Busarellus)
  • Genus Piebald buzzards (Leucopternis)
  • Genus Lizard buzzards (Kaupifalco)
  • Genus Hawk buzzards (Butastur)
  • Genus Hermit Eagles (Harpyhaliaetus)
  • Genus Long-tailed harpy (Morphnus)
  • Genus Harpy (Harpia)
  • Genus Philippine harpies (Pithecophaga)
  • Genus New Guinea harpies (Harpyopsis)
  • Genus Mourning eagles (Oroaetus)
  • Genus Black and white eagles (Spizastur)
  • Genus Crested eagles (Spizaetus)
  • Genus Crested eagles (Lophaetus) - possibly synonymous with Ictinaetus
  • Genus Crowned eagles (Stephanoaetus)
  • Genus Martial Eagles (Polemaetus)
  • Genus Long-tailed eagles (Hieraaetus)
  • Genus Eagles (Aquila)
  • Genus Egg-eaters (Ictinaetus)
  • Genus Eagles (Haliaeetus)
  • Genus Fishing eagles (Ichthyophaga)

• Subfamily Lunar (Circinae) - about 16 modern.
  • Rod Looney (Circus)
  • Genus Harrier Hawks (Polyboroides)
  • Genus Crane hawks (Geranospiza)

• Subfamily Kite (Milvinae) - ca. 14 types
  • Genus Two-toothed kites (Harpagus)
  • Genus Gray kites (Ictinia)
  • Genus Slug-eating kites (Rostrhamus)
  • Genus Brahmin kites (Haliastur)
  • Genus True kites (Milvus)
  • Genus Chubby kites (Lophoictinia)
  • Genus Buzzard kites (Hamirostra)

• Subfamily Hawks (Accipitrinae) - ca.

  55 modern species

  • Genus Accipiter
  • Genus Micronisus
  • Genus Songhawks (Melierax)
  • Genus Long-tailed hawks (Urotriorchis)
  • Genus Red Hawks (Erythrotriorchis)
  • Genus New Guinea hawks (Megatriorchis)

• Subfamily Snake eaters (Circaetinae) - ca. 12 types
  • Genus Buffoon Eagles (Terathopius)
  • Genus True snake eaters (Circaetus)
  • Genus Crested snake eagle (Spilornis)
  • Genus Madagascar snake eagle (Eutriorchis)

This term has other meanings, see Eagle.

Eagles in the broad sense of the word - a name applied to representatives of the eagle subfamily (lat. Aquilinae) of the hawk family ( Accipitridae). In addition, this is the name given to large birds of prey that are similar to representatives of the above group of birds, that is, having an eagle-like appearance.

The characteristic features of eagles are a massive build, long and relatively wide wings with finger-like flight feathers, a massive beak and strong paws with large curved claws and elongated feathers on the outer side of the thigh and lower leg (“pants”). When hunting, as a rule, they soar high above the surface of the earth, relying on vision to search for prey. The composition of the diet depends on the species and habitat conditions of the birds, but in all cases, eagles are at the highest levels of the trophic pyramids.

The word “eagle” is present in the species names of birds of prey belonging to other subfamilies. For example, the buffoon eagle ( Terathopius ecaudatus), Madagascan serpent eagle ( Eutriorchis astur), which indicates their external similarity to eagles.

In English the word eagle designate an even larger number of species, including sea eagles ( Haliaeetus) - Fish-eagles and snake-eaters ( Circaetus) - Snake-eagles, which are very distantly related to eagles.

Eagle - appearance and description of features, nutrition, habitat, reproduction + 85 photos

The Russian name Akulina comes from the Latin name Aquilinae.

Taxonomy[ | code]

According to modern concepts, species classified as eagles represent a monophyletic group, to which representatives of the Harpy subfamily are morphologically close ( Harpiinae). This includes the birth of the Harpy ( Harpia), New Guinea harpies ( Harpyopsis), Long-tailed Harpies ( Morphnus), Philippine harpies ( Pithecophaga), Hermit Eagles ( Harpyhaliaetus).

However, similarities with this group may be convergent.

Subfamily Eaglets ( Aquilinae)

• Genus Eagle-egg-eater ( Ictinaetus)
  • Ictinaetus malayensis Egg-eater

• Genus Martial Eagles ( Polemaetus)
  • Polemaetus bellicosus Martial (warlike) eagle

The golden eagle's food is varied: among animals - hares, gophers, marmots, young ungulates (deer, in particular reindeer, roe deer), also foxes, martens; birds the size of wood grouse and geese. In addition, the golden eagle willingly feeds on carrion. Sometimes it feeds on small animals (mice, voles, squirrels).

BURIAL GROUND (Aquila heliaca) Distributed in Europe, North-West Africa and Asia. In Europe it breeds in southern Spain, northern Greece, Bulgaria, Ukraine; in Asia, northwest Pakistan, northern Mongolia and Russia.Total length 72-84 cm, wing length 54-65 cm, weight about 3 kg. Females are larger than males.Nests are located in trees, rarely along cliffs. Clutch of 2, rarely 3 white eggs. Eggs are laid on different dates in April. Both parents incubate for approximately 43 days.The main food is small mammals, especially gophers, sometimes it attacks hares, and does not neglect mouse-like rodents (voles, etc.). In addition, it feeds on birds, especially young ones, and also eats carrion.

STEPPE EAGLE (Aquila rapax) Distributed in open, dry plains of a steppe or semi-desert nature. The nesting region covers South-Eastern and South-Western Siberia, Western, Central and Central Asia to the western parts of China, north-western, central and southern parts of Africa (sub-Saharan Africa), India. In the north it is a migratory bird, in the south it is a sedentary bird.Nests are located on the ground, rarely on low, free-standing trees. The clutch contains 2 white eggs, slightly speckled with brown. Incubation lasts 40-45 days, the nesting period is about 60 days.It feeds on rodents of various sizes, mainly gophers, and also eggs.

AUSTRALIAN WEDGE-TAILED EAGLE (Aquila audax)

A large diurnal bird of prey in the hawk family, its habitats are the lowland and mountainous regions of Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea. The Australian wedge-tailed eagle is a fairly large bird; the weight of an adult can reach up to 5 kilograms, and the body length can be up to 1 meter. For the most part, these representatives of the genus of eagles live in pairs, building themselves huge nests in places with good visibility.
About 70–80% of the diet of these birds consists of rabbits or hares; they also do not disdain carrion, large lizards, and occasionally attack young lambs.

Great Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga) Distributed from southern Finland, Poland, Hungary and Romania east to northern Mongolia, northern China and Pakistan. Also lives in Russia. This is a migratory bird, wintering in Western, Central, and Southern Asia, the United Arab Republic and Arabia.Total length 65-73 cm, wing length 49-55 cm, weighs 1.6-3.2 kg. Females are larger than males.Prefers mixed forests interspersed with river valleys, meadows and swamps. Such open areas serve as favorite hunting grounds for spotted eagles, which usually search for prey not only in flight, but also on foot. It feeds mainly on reptiles and amphibians, but often attacks birds.

Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) Distributed from the Baltic states to the northern part of Greece, in Germany, Austria, Asia Minor and Iran, India and northern Burma. A migratory bird living mainly in Africa.Its total length is 62-65 cm, wing length is 44-51 cm, weight is 1.5-1.8 kg.Spotted eagles prefer mixed forests interspersed with river valleys, meadows and swamps.Reptiles and amphibians, as well as mice and voles, occupy a significant place in the diet. Both spotted eagles willingly eat carrion.

EURASIAN EAGLE (Aquila nipalensis) A large eagle with wide and long wings and a short rounded tail. The color is usually uniform, from dark fawn to dark brown. The flight feathers are darker underneath than the wing coverts and belly. There is often a white stripe at the base of the flight feathers below. There is a white spot on the rump. Dark-colored birds have a small rusty spot on the back of their heads.Females are larger than males and are also colored.Weight of males 2.2-4.5 kg, females - 3.5-5 kg, length - 65-87 cm, wing of males - 51.9-56.8 cm, females - 53.6-60.5 cm, span - 175-250 cm.In downy chicks dressed in nesting plumage, the feathers of the flight tubes and tail tubes are light brown with buffy tips, in contrast to those of the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetus), greater spotted eagle (Aquila clanga) and imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca).

Fledglings are light brown to brown in color above, light brown with a yellowish tint or red below, with dark brown, sometimes almost black, flight feathers. At the top, at the base of the flight feathers, against a dark brown background, are descending parallel rows of buffy teardrop-shaped spots, like those of spotted eagles. The legs are light buffy, noticeably lighter than the belly. Uppertail with a white spot. Along the bottom at the base of the flight feathers, across the entire wing, there is a white stripe, separating the red or light brown color of the belly and base of the wing from the dark brown flight feathers.
Young 2-3 years old are the same in color as fledglings, only the legs and belly are the same color.
At any age (from the moment of hatching), steppe eagles differ from other eagles in the length of their beak. The beak section is very long, the distance from the tip of the beak to the nostril is noticeably shorter than the distance from the nostril to the corner of the mouth (in other eagles it is the same or longer). The perpendicular to the section of the beak from the corner of the mouth to the eye extends beyond the middle of the eye or its posterior edge (in other eagles it reaches a maximum of the middle of the eye). In adult birds, yellowness is clearly visible along the edges of the mouth. The beak section is not straight, the rear edge of the corner of the mouth is, as it were, turned up towards the eye (in other eagles it is straight).
The flight is slow, with rare flapping of the wings. The tail appears short in flight, despite its length. When soaring, it holds its wings straight, in one plane, slightly letting their ends down and bending them slightly in a bow-like manner, which makes it different from a number of other eagles.
In flight, young steppe eagles differ from other eagles of similar color (young imperial eagles Aquila heliaca, lesser spotted eagles Aquila pomarina) by a white stripe along the bottom of the wing at the base of the flight feathers; adult birds of the dark morph differ from the adult golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetus) by the landing of the wings and their greater length relative to the body , absence of a golden cap, white spot on the rump, short tail, from the Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) - slightly bow-shaped wing fold, absence of a bright yellow or whitish cap and white spots on the shoulders, white spot on the rump, from the Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga) - more brownish (not black) tones of color and darker flight feathers, relative to the body (in some cases, at a long range, observations can be easily confused). Adult birds of the light morph are closer to young imperial birds (Aquila heliaca), from which they differ in the absence of sharp longitudinal streaks along the body, their coloring is more uniform.
The voice is a hoarse yawn-tyaw-tyaw, less coarse than the croaking calls of the Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), and faster.
The steppe eagle is closely associated with open habitats, but their type and landscape characteristics vary significantly in different areas.
In the European part of Russia, up to the Southern Urals, this species nests in steppes and semi-deserts, gravitating towards virgin areas along ravines. If there are differences in the relief, it gravitates towards the most rugged areas. Steppe ravines are the main nesting sites for this species in the Volga region. On the Podural Plateau, in the Guberlinsky Mountains and some peripheral areas of the southern tip of the Southern Urals, it nests on the ledges of plateau-like hills and rocky outcrops of ridges and sides of river valleys. Less commonly, it makes nests on the tops of ravines and “says” (deep clayey ravines among the steppe). In the extended flat steppes of the Volga region and Trans-Urals, it gravitates to any elevations in the area, less often (in large tracts of virgin steppes) it nests on flat ground.
In the mountains of Southern Siberia there are two types of habitats that differ from each other in ecological conditions - the steppes of intermountain basins and high-mountain steppes, tundra areas of high-mountain plateaus of ridges separating the basins. In the first type of habitat, it selects rocky outcrops of hills, leading ridges of ridges framing basins, river valleys for nesting, or nests on rocky outcrops among flattened steppes. In the second type of habitat, it chooses rocky outcrops of alpine ridges, river valleys or outcrops among the tundra for nesting. In general, the nesting stereotype is the same, only the zone changes depending on the zone. With little forest cover (subalpine belt), it can nest on the rocks of ridges or valleys rising above the forest, the tops of which are occupied by alpine steppe or tundra.
It should be noted that steppe eagles are attached to dense habitats of small ground squirrels: gray (Citellus pygmaeus) and Daurian (C. Dauricus) and pikas: steppe (Ochotona pusilla), Daurian (O. Daurica) and Mongolian (O. Pallasi). Large ground squirrels: large (C. Major), red-cheeked (C. Erythrogenys) and long-tailed (C. undulatus) are less typical food items for the steppe eagle, and therefore, in their habitats exclusively, the eagle nests with much lower density, and is displaced from more forested habitats by the imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca).
The majority of birds in the steppe and semi-desert regions of the European part of Russia make nests on the steppe slopes of ravines. In the presence of landslide areas and other forms of source rock outcrops, they are clearly preferred. Here the nests are made on ledges. In the absence of outcrops, eagles tend to build nests in small bushes on the slopes of ravines. Less commonly, nests are made on the tops or sides of slopes simply on the ground among the grass, without any support in the form of a bush or stone.

HAWK EAGLE (Hieraaetus fasciatus) Distributed in the tropical and subtropical zones of the eastern hemisphere: in Southern Europe, Africa (except the Sahara), Western, Central and Southern Asia, on the Lesser Sunda Islands.This is a large bird: wing length 46-55 cm, total length 65-75 cm, weight 1.5-2.5 kg. Females are noticeably larger in size than males.They nest mainly on rocks, but in some places (for example in Turkmenistan) also on trees. The clutch usually consists of 2 (rarely 1 or 3) white, slightly speckled eggs.It feeds on mammals and birds of medium size - hares, rabbits, gray and stone partridges, wild pigeons, ravens (jackdaws), etc.

Dwarf Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) Distributed in North-West Africa, Southern Europe, Western and Central Asia east to the northern part of Mongolia.Total length 46-53 cm, wing length 35-43.5 cm, weight about 700 g.Found in forests and forest-steppe, both on plains and in mountains up to altitudes of 2000 (occasionally 2400) m. Migratory bird.It nests in trees, mainly deciduous, or on rocks. The clutch is laid mainly in May; it contains 2 (rarely 1 or 3) whitish eggs, sometimes slightly mottled with brown.Its food consists of small mammals - from rabbits and gophers to small rodents; occasionally lizards, but mainly birds ranging in size from wood pigeons, rock partridges and magpies to small passerines.

INDIAN HAWK EAGLE (Hieraaetus kienerii)

Hawk eagle nests are located on inaccessible rocks, which allows this rare predator to successfully nest in fairly crowded places, near villages or busy roads.
The relatively long legs of the hawk eagle, equipped with long and thin claws, and the speed and maneuverability of its flight allow this rare predator to specialize in hunting birds.

OGG-EATING EAGLE (Ictinaetus malayensis) This is a resident bird of the forests of South Asia: India, Burma, Malacca and the islands of Indonesia. It nests in trees, with a clutch of 1 or 2 motley eggs.Total length 50-60 cm, weight about 3 kg.The main place in the diet of this bird is occupied by eggs and chicks of various birds located in the nests. In addition, it feeds on frogs, lizards and large insects.

BLACK AND WHITE EAGLE (Spizastur melanoleucus) Lives in tropical forests of South and Central America.Body length - 55-60 cm, wing length - 33-35 cm, females are much larger than males.It lives mainly near rivers.