Raptors of Tanjung Tuan

Greater Spotted Eagle

The greater spotted eagle (Clanga clanga), occasionally just called the spotted
eagle, is a large bird of prey. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family
Accipitridae. The scientific name clanga is from Ancient Greek.
The eagle is 59–71 cm in length and has a wingspan of 157–179 cm.
Typical body mass is 1.6–2.5 kg, with an occasional big female weighing up to
3.2 kg. There is often a less obvious white patch on the upperwings, but a light
crescent on the primary remiges is a good field mark. The white V mark on the
rump is less clear-cut in adults than in the lesser spotted eagle. The juvenile
has white spots all over its wings and lacks a lighter nape patch.
This medium-sized eagle is very similar in general appearance to its
closest relative the lesser spotted eagle, which shares part of its range. Head
and wing coverts are very dark brown and contrast with the generally medium
brown plumage, the lesser spotted eagle has a paler head and wing coverts.
The head is small for an eagle. The similarities of the greater spotted to the
lesser spotted often results in misidentification as being that species. This is
further complicated by occasional hybrids between the two species. In the
winter, it occurs in the range of the Indian spotted eagle. From this recently
validated relative, it can be distinguished by the darker color and lighter eye
not darker than the body plumage at distance, and in juveniles, the strong
spotting. It is also a bit larger though this cannot be reliably estimated in the
field and in the winter quarters prefers wetland habitat.
In its winter range, the species is more social than when breeding. Small
flocks of up to ten birds or so, of varying age, can be seen to patrol the land
together. They also associate with other Accipitridae such as local and migrant
black kites or steppe eagles, distinctly smaller and larger raptors, respectively.
The eagle hunts small mammals and similar, mainly terrestrial, prey. This
eagle lays 1–3 eggs in a tree nest. Juveniles spend some time with their parents
after fledging, until they reach sexual maturity and seek out a territory and a
mate of their own.
This is a species of wooded country. It breeds from northern Europe
eastwards across Eurasia, and winters in south-eastern Europe, north-eastern
Africa, the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. Migration to the breeding
grounds takes place fairly late in Bhutan, for example, birds can be seen with
some regularity until the end of March.
This species is prone to vagrancy. Its regular breeding range no longer
extends as far westwards as Germany but birds are still occasionally seen there
with a few records per decade. Even young birds disperse widely, the
Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde Dresden has a specimen shot in November
1914 near Bernsdorf in Saxony. It is a juvenile, and though its exact age cannot
be determined it is heavily spotted and probably less than 20 months old.

An adult greater spotted was tagged with a satellite transponder in 1993

in order to track migration. The tagged eagle migrated a total of 5,526 km from
its wintering grounds in Yemen to it breeding grounds in western Siberia. It
moved 150 km on average each day, but this increased to 280 km per day as
the bird flew through Mesopotamia