Short-toed Eagle - The Snake Master

 

Hello everyone, before we get into the subject let me update you that I am done with the vaccination and request you all to complete the vaccination at the earliest, this will help us to get freedom from this deadly virus.

I am very much hopeful of a fantastic season of wildlife and waiting to explore new places but till the time old trip will help us know about unique species. Today I am bringing you a lovely bird which I found at Bhigwan. The place is best suited to this bird and hence it is a kind of home ground to it. You should take out some time to explore such places; it helps to gain knowledge about the quality of nature we have. Now without taking more time let me update you on the story and facts of this bird. 

I love snake

As you know we start with a short story and then we get into more details, so I will continue the tradition and hence I am starting with the story followed by facts of this bird.

You must be thinking it must be a side effect of the vaccine, since when I started loving snakes 😜. The tile is not for me, it is for this bird who loves snakes like anything. I love Snacks and bird loves Snakes, repeat both words 20 times and let me know you are able to repeat them properly or not 😝😝😝

After a little bit of fun let me brief you on my experience, last year in the month of October after travel relaxation we planned a trip to Bhigwan.  We wanted a place that can be reached within 5/6 hours (self-drive types) because this was our first visit in the COVID period hence we opted for Bhigwan. 

The place is famous for boat safari as well as grassland birding, we decided to go for grassland because we had experienced boat safari in past. Grassland is a different world altogether; it is nothing less than heaven because of greenery and countless unique birds and Short toed is one of them. 

We got this bird sitting on top of the tree monitoring the grassland for food, Drongo tried to disturb this bird many times but it hardly bothered short-toed. The aggressive eyes and light grey body make this bird very attractive; apart from this, there is a lot more to learn, and hence let us visit the next section to know more. 

Fantastic facts

The Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus Gallicus) is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, buzzards, and harriers

This bird love snakes; the area rich with snakes becomes the habitat of this eagle. They are famous to battle larger snakes on the ground and eat them swiftly; it swallows snakes with ease (as if people eat noodles 😜)

The Short-toed Eagle is found in open cultivated plains, arid stony deciduous scrub areas, foothills, and semi-desert areas. It requires trees for nesting

They can be recognized in the field by their predominantly white underside, the upper parts being grayish brown. The chin, throat, and upper breast are a pale, earthy brown. The tail has 3 or 4 bars. Additional indications are an owl-like rounded head, brightly yellow eyes, and lightly barred underwing

Its prey is mostly reptiles, mainly snakes, but also some lizards. Occasionally small mammals to the size of a rabbit; rarely birds and large insects

This eagle is generally very silent. On occasions, it emits a variety of musical whistling notes. When breeding it lays only one egg, but can live up to 17 years

Please visit the DSLR section to connect story with this lovely bird

I hope you enjoyed every bit of it, please shower your blessing and keep motivating me to deliver unique stuff, and in the end, do not forget to share feedback on btwildart@gmail.com

Learning of the day

State Bird of Manipur

Mrs. Hume's pheasant –

This rare and little-known pheasant is found throughout forested habitats of the Mizoram, Patkai Range, Yunnan, and northern parts of Myanmar and Thailand. The diet consists mainly of vegetation matters.

BT Wild Art

DSLR Section