Lesser spotted eagle in Polissia
Clanga pomarina
Red Data Book of Ukraine: rare
The lesser spotted eagle is a small brown eagle with a paler head and upper wings. In flight it holds its wings flat, and on the upper side of the wing there is a small pale patch at the base of the primaries.
It nests in mixed and broadleaved forests next to meadows, floodplains and fields. In Polissia the lesser spotted eagle is commoner than the greater; it is seen in the valleys of the Prypiat, Stokhid and Desna and in Polissia's nature reserves.
It hunts mouse-like rodents, frogs and large insects, circling over meadows or walking on the ground. It winters in Africa. A clutch usually has two eggs, but as a rule only one chick survives.
The lesser spotted eagle is listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. As with other birds of prey, logging and noise near nests do harm, and it needs unploughed meadows for hunting.
When to see: April–September
Where it was seen in Polissia
Observations from the open scientific database GBIF since 1990. Locations are shown approximately, to within 10 km.
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