TATIA LEOPARD (Centromochlus perugiae)

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Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) represents the hawk family. This species, in contrast to the great spotted eagle, is not so numerous. Its habitat is rather limited.

Appearance

Despite its name, the lesser spotted eagle is a fairly large representative. The size of his body is about 65 centimeters in length. Wings with a span of 44 to 51 centimeters. Weight ranges from 1500 to 1800 grams. The plumage color of this species is monochromatic, brown. There are no drawings or patterns. Only young animals have dark orange specks on their backs.

Habitat

The territory of distribution of this representative is located in two separated areas. Part of the population is located in the west, namely in the territory of Central Europe, starting from the Elbe and reaching the east of St. Petersburg. In the south, this species can be found in Greece and on the Black Sea coast in Bulgaria. Lesser spotted eagles live in some areas of Asia Minor. They are found in small quantities in northeastern Turkey and northwestern Iran. The eastern region itself is limited to Hindustan.

Lesser spotted eagles choose deciduous forests as their habitat. They prefer to settle in dry wastelands, which alternate with forest groves. Some species live in old clearings. On the territory of continuous forests and swamps, you can hardly find a lesser spotted eagle.

Lifestyle and nutrition

The activity of these representatives falls on the daytime. Educated couples lead a territorial lifestyle and do not advocate other people's birds in their area. However, it is normal for females to visit another female's nest. During the summer, keep either in pairs or singly.

During cold weather, they can live near other eagles. In this case, there are no conflicts between individuals. Due to their keen eyesight, they prefer to hunt from the ground. They look out for a potential victim from the air.

Their diet consists of small mammals and small birds. Lesser spotted eagles can also feed on insects. In winter, termites are their main food.

Breeding period

Lesser spotted eagles organize pairs for a long time. They prefer to equip nests on the edges of tall trees. At the end of the nesting process, the female lays eggs. As a rule, this falls on the end of April. On average, a clutch consists of 2 eggs. More often than not, only one survives. This is because the stronger chicks can bully the weaker ones. The incubation period lasts up to 41 days.

At the age of 8 weeks, chicks begin to actively fledge. After that, the young animals spend several more months in the parental territory. Birds become sexually mature only at the age of 3 to 4 years. Spotted eagles live up to 25 years in the wild. However, taking into account 25 percent mortality, the number of adult birds is only 5%. The average lifespan of lesser spotted eagles is 9 years.

Lesser spotted eagle chick in the nest

Population

Representatives of this species are not classified as vulnerable.Their numbers are declining extremely slowly. The main reason is the decline in their habitat. Another problem is hunting for them during the migration to the south.

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