Snake Eagle \ Short-toed Eagle

Short-toed Eagle

Status: V category, Vulnerable, VU: R. The only representative of the genus in the fauna of Kyrgyzstan, subspecies - Circaetus gallicus heptneri Dementiev, 1932

Distribution general and in the country. Africa, Eurasia, Asia Minor, Iran, Pakistan, India. Winters in Africa, Arabia. In Kyrgyzstan, encounters have been recorded in the northern part of the Republic in the Chui and Talas valleys, in the Issyk-Kul region. In the southern region, it has been noted everywhere. Nests have been found in the Kyrgyz, Talas, Fergana, Chatkal, and Pskem mountain ranges [66].

Habitat. Main habitats - dry foothills, desert mountains, in nut-fruit forests, at an altitude of 1500-2200 m above sea level [66].

Population. In Kyrgyzstan, the population has not been studied. Over the last five years, two individuals were observed in the foothills of the Nooruz gorge in 1998, one individual in the Besh-Aral Nature Reserve in 2001, and two individuals in the Pskem mountain range gorge in 2002. Overall, its population is not large and tends to decline.

Life style (life cycles). In Kyrgyzstan, they appear in early April [66]. Nesting begins in the first decade of May. The clutch usually contains one egg. Incubation lasts about one and a half months, with chicks appearing in late June to early July. They primarily feed on reptiles.

Limiting factors. Direct destruction, nest raiding, disturbance factor. Reduction of the food base due to agricultural development of habitats.

Breeding (keeping in captivity). No information available.

Existing conservation measures. Listed in the Red Data Book of the USSR, in the Red Data Book of Kazakhstan. Hunting is prohibited in the Republic since 1986. Protected in the territory of the Sarychelek Nature Reserve. Included in Appendix 2 of the “Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora” [3].

Recommended conservation measures. Clarification of population numbers in the Republic, study of biology, possibility of attracting them for nesting in artificial nests. Determine the state and trends of changes in the food base.

Short-toed Eagle

Short-toed Eagle
Circaetus gallicus (J.F. Gmelin, 1788), ssp. heptneri Dementiev, 1932
Status: V category, Vulnerable, VU: R. Occurs in Chu and Talas Valleys and Issyk-Kul oblast, as well as throughout the south of the country. Nests are found in Kyrgyz, Talas, Fergana, Chatkal, and Pskem Mountainous Ridges. Prefers dry lowlands and uplands up to 1,500-2200 m above sea level. No data on exact numbers are available; several individuals were sporadically observed in different places over the last few years. Arrives in Kyrgyzstan in April, nests in May, and lays 1 egg. The incubation period is about a month. Feeds predominantly on reptiles. Illegal hunting, destruction of nests, and reduced numbers of reptiles are limiting factors. Included in the USSR Red Book of 1984; in Kyrgyzstan, hunting has been prohibited since 1986. It is recommended to create artificial nests to attract the Short-toed Eagle for nesting.