Circaetus
| Circaetus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Short-toed Snake Eagle | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Accipitriformes |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Subfamily: | Circaetinae |
| Genus: | Circaetus Vieillot, 1816 |
| Species | |
C. gallicus
C. pectoralis C. cinereus C. fasciolatus C. cinerascens | |
Circaetus, the snake eagles, is a genus of medium-sized eagles in the bird of prey familyAccipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as buzzards and harriers.
These are mainly resident African species, but the migratory Short-toed Snake Eagle breeds from the Mediterranean basin into Russia, the Middle East and India, and winters in sub-Saharan Africaand east to Indonesia.
Snake eagles are found in open habitats like cultivated plains arid savannaha, but require trees in which to build a stick nest. The single egg is incubated mainly or entirely by the female.
Circaetus eagles have a rounded head and broad wings. They prey on reptiles, mainly snakes, but also take lizards and occasionally small mammals.
Species in taxonomic order
- Short-toed Snake Eagle, Circaetus gallicus
- Black-chested Snake Eagle, Circaetus pectoralis - sometimes included in C. gallicus
- Beaudouin's Snake Eagle, Circaetus beaudouini - sometimes included in C. gallicus
- Brown Snake Eagle, Circaetus cinereus
- Southern Banded Snake Eagle or Fasciated Snake Eagle, Circaetus fasciolatus
- Western Banded Snake Eagle, Circaetus cinerascens
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