1 / 5
Short-toed Snake-Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) — photo 1 of 5
© Vijay Vanaparthy cc-by

Hawks and eagles

Short-toed Snake-Eagle

Circaetus gallicus

Summer visitor

Voice

Call

Benoît Van Hecke

0:08

Call

Benoît Van Hecke

0:14

Call

Benoît Van Hecke

0:03

How to recognize it

  • 67–72 cm, medium-large, eagle-shaped

  • Mostly white underside, grey-brown upperparts

  • Rounded head, yellow eyes, broad flat wings

  • Often soars on flat wings, sometimes hovers; usually silent, occasional whistling call

About the species

The Short-toed Snake-Eagle is a calm, wary raptor with a large head and an unhurried way of moving. In flight it often looks pale underneath, and it carries itself steadily without fuss.

It is usually quiet, so you are more likely to notice it in the air. It often soars over slopes and open country, and while searching for food it may hover in place like a kestrel.

It needs open ground for hunting and trees for nesting. It feeds mostly on snakes, with lizards and other small prey taken less often, and in the northern part of its range it leaves for winter.

Where to find

  • On broad forest edges and clearings — perched on the top of a lone tree, scanning the ground for prey.

  • Over dry open fields with a few scattered trees — most often seen circling high on steady, flat wings.

  • Along boggy woodland margins and small cutovers — a quiet silhouette may hover briefly as if checking the ground.

  • In city outskirts with woodland-steppe patches, especially where old pines or oaks stand beside open ground, look for a low glide over the grass.

You might also see

Sources