Circaetus gallicus information navigator

More historical data about Short-toed Eagles in Switzerland can be found on a webpage of the journal Ornithologische Beobachter:

• Karl Daut, 1910 – Seltenere Vertreter der schweizerischen Avifauna. Der Schlangenadler – Circaetus gallicus (Gm.) [A rare representative of the Swiss avifauna. Short-toed Eagle] // Der Ornithologische Beobachter, VIII (1): pp. 1-3. – (De).

The former and present state of the species in the Canton of Valais /map/ is described in the communication, published this year:

• Lionel Maumary, 2015 – Nouvelle nidification du Circaète Jean-le-Blanc en Valais [New nesting of Short-toed Eagle in Valais] // Oiseaux.ch (Fr).

The following web resource deserves to be mentioned again: the map of the sighting locations is available for the registered contributors of Ornitho.ch only. However, any visitor of the site can view the photo gallery. The most of the pictures of Short-toed Eagles represented there have been taken in Switzerland.

The following two texts are dedicated to notable physical abilities of Short-toed Eagles and, like the previous one of Bernard Joubert, are going to be included in the next issue of La Plume du Circaète (Fr):

• Bernard JOUBERT, 2015 – Performance visuelle du Circaète [Visual abilities of Short-toed Eagle] // short-toed-eagle.net.

• Bernard JOUBERT, 2015 – Quelques réflexions sur le vol [Some reflections on the flight] // short-toed-eagle.net.

The articles about Short-toed Eagles in present southwestern /map/ and southeastern /map/ Poland are divided by about 80 years. Four of them, written by Viktor Zebe /map/ and published in the first half of the 20^th century, have been placed on the Ptaki Śląska – Birds of Silesia website (De):

The next paper by Adam Flis is available on a website of the Institute of Nature Conservation PAS:

• Adam FLIS, 2013 – Występowanie gadożera Circaetus gallicus w Lasach Janowskich i Lipskich [The occurrence of Short-toed Eagle in Janowskie and Lipskie Forests (SE Poland)] // Chrońmy Przyrodę Ojczystą, 69 (3): pp. 221–225. – (Pl).

Returning to the important topic of correct identification of differently aged Short-toed Eagles in the nature, Gábor Papp has tried to briefly describe the main characters of juvenile, 2, 3 and 4 cy eagles, and also visual differences between adult males and females. His description are illustrated with the corresponding images. Here is two versions of the text, Hungarian and English ones:

• Gábor PAPP, 2015 – A kígyászölyv kor és ivarhatározása – segédlet a terepi megfigyelések minőségének javításához [Ageing and sexing of the Short-toed Eagle – an aid to improve the quality of field observations in Hungary] // short-toed-eagle.net – (Hu), (En).

This bird had been photographed by Javier G. in Peñaflor (the environments of Zaragoza city, Spain) /map/ in August 2013. Thanks to the author and to Javier Blasco-Zumeta we have the following information about that unique record of leucism in Short-toed Snake Eagle:

That absolutely white bird was born in a forest of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), successfully left the nest, was observed in its territory until the end of September, and when it was time to start the migration the juvenile Short-toed Eagle flew away.

If the bird has survived, its return to Europe may be expected next year, after 2 years of probable wintering and summering in Africa.

The images of an eagle killing a snake is quite widely distributed and can be found in various works of art in different countries, with different cultural traditions, rather geographically distant from each other. Some considerations to this matter are given by Bernard Joubert in his short essay for the next issue of the La Plume du Circaète bulletin which is prepared for release in the near future:

• Bernard JOUBERT, 2015 – Malheur des uns, bonheur des autres [Unhappiness of some, delight of others] // short-toed-eagle.net (Fr).

How different reproduction of different pairs can be? Some adult Short-toed Eagles occupy the same sites from year to year. They had yet been identified in 2011 by photos taken since 2006 and according to previous and new observations. The birds had got indexes A11, B11 etc. although, in spoken communication we give them more harmonious names: for example, K11 is Barry, B11 is Ospry, and so on. Then later pictures of the individuals repeatedly got into the annual photo galleries. The natural identifying details are general plumage patterns, shapes of heads, wings, beaks and general silhouettes in flight from certain angles as well as signs of moulting. The number of the examined images should be enough to select the details and to collate them. Thus, now it is possible to compare the mean reproduction – – of pairs of individuals identified from year to year for certain, definitely without replacements of mates and without clear differences in objective conditions for breeding.