Short-toed Snake Eagle

Short-toed Snake Eagle
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Circaetus gallicus

Malay Name: Helang-Ular Utara

Chinese Name: 短趾雕

Range: Found from southwest Europe to northwest Africa, Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, northern China with some northern populations wintering south to tropical Africa and mainland Southeast Asia.

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: gallicus, sacerdotis.

Local Subspecies: gallicus

Size: 62-67 cm

Identification: Pale morph adult has greyish-brown upperparts, rounded brownish head, yellowish eyes, pale underparts with faint dark markings, whitish underwing with some dark barring and pale tail with three dark bands. Dark morph individual resembles pale morph but has distinctive dark hood.

Similar looking species: Changeable Hawk-Eagle

Habitat: Reclaimed land, wooded grassland, open country and forest.

Behaviour/Ecology: Usually observed soaring and circling at great heights.

Local Status: Vagrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2021)

Featured articles:

Featured reports: Nov 2022, Nov 2023, Oct 2024

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Peak week Nov 05-Nov 11
Early date 22 Sep 2002
Late date 23 Dec 2012
A very rare but quite distinctive raptor with records mostly from Oct to Dec.
Juvenile Short-toed Eagle at Southern Spain. Photo Credit: Pete Blanchard.
Short-toed Snake Eagle (dark morph) at Jelutong Tower. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Short-toed Snake Eagle (pale morph) at Tanah Merah. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Short-toed Snake Eagle (pale morph) at Tanah Merah. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Short-toed Snake-Eagle)

References:

BirdLife International. (2021). Circaetus gallicus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22734216A203141317.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Short-toed Snake Eagle. Retrieved on December 19, 2024 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/short-toed-snake-eagle.

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