Circaetus gallicus: BirdLife International

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ◽

10.2305/iucn.uk.2021-3.rlts.t22734216a166443230.en ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Circaetus Gallicus

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Feeding Ecology of Short-Toed Snake-Eagle (Circaetus gallicus [Gmelin, 1788]) in the Montados of Iberian Peninsula

Silva Lusitana ◽

10.1051/silu/20202802139 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 155-179

Author(s):

Nuno Onofre ◽

Luís Sampaio

Keyword(s):

Relative Abundance ◽

Diet Composition ◽

Prey Species ◽

Prey Selection ◽

Prey Type ◽

Generalist Predator ◽

Important Prey ◽

Psammodromus Algirus ◽

Circaetus Gallicus ◽

Water Snakes

The diet of Short-toed Snake-eagle (Circaetus gallicus) during the breeding season in an area dominated by cork and holm oak parkland forests (Montados) was analyzed in this study. As expected, results showed that snakes are the dominant prey in the diet of this eagle, comprising up to 92.5% of the identified items, if potential secondary prey species were excluded. The Montpellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) was the most consumed one (42.2%), followed by the Ladder Snake (Zamenis scalaris) (28.0%), and the water snakes (Natrix spp.) (14.2%). According to the same criteria, lizards (mainly Psammodromus algirus) and mammals represent between 4.8 and 2.2%, respectively. Other animals such as pond turtle and amphibians are irregular prey (<1%), and no bird remains were found at all. Short-toed Snake-eagle is usually referred as a stenophagic predator where snakes are by far its most important prey type, and where within this taxonomic group it behaves as a generalist predator. In this study this premise was then tested comparing the relative abundance of the snake species with their proportion in the diet composition of the eagle in order to know whether or not prey selection exists with regard to the species of snakes in this region. Results point to a quite plausible "preference" for the Ladder Snake and an "avoidance" for the smooth snakes group (Macroprotodon brevis/Coronella girondica), and possibly for the Horseshoe Whip (Hemorrhois hippocrepis). The avoidance to the Horseshoe Whip must be indirect and habitat related, while in relation to the two smooth snakes it may be due in large extend to its small size, in particular.

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