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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
copyright Clement Francis |
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
copyright Clement Francis |
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle with a prey in Flight
Hieraaetus fasciatus copyright Clement
Francis; 2006 |
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Bonelli's
Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus copyright
Anand Arya; 2007 |
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
copyright Clement Francis |
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
copyright Clement Francis |
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
copyright Clement Francis |
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
copyright Clement Francis |
Geographical distribution &
Habitat: Bonelli’s eagles
are found in Southern Europe, Africa,
Southern Asia upto Indonesia. They are
usually resident breeders in most places.
In the Indian Subcontinent they are almost
absent in the Northeast and in Srilanka.
They prefer sparsely wooded mountainous
country, as well as sand hills with short
trees and open areas where there is more
visibility to spot prey. They also adapt
well to desert kind of habitats and grassland
regions.
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
copyright Clement Francis |
Call: Bonelli’s
eagles are normally silent raptors except
during their breeding season. We have
observed their displays near their nest,
during which they utter a klu-kluklu-kluee
call, the male more often than the female.
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
copyright Clement Francis |
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
copyright Clement Francis |
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
copyright Clement Francis |
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Local
Movements & Migration:
Bonelli’s Eagles are mostly
residents in their breeding
areas. But hunger and lack of
prey can often make them travel
great distances in search of
food, both during breeding and
non breeding seasons. Some radio
collared birds in Spain have
traveled upto 3000 Kms from
their nesting sites during winter
due to cold weather conditions
and low density of available
prey.
At the nesting sites that we
studied in Karnataka and Maharastra
the pair was always seen throughout
the year in their breeding area.
However, at times even they
have disappeared for a few weeks
and re-appeared leaving the
observers in awe.
Behaviour:
These Eagles are very powerful
hunters of medium sized mammals
such as Black-Naped Hare and
medium sized birds such as Crows,
Grey Francolins etc but can
also take larger birds like
peacocks. Their peacock hunting
ability has given them their
Sanskrit name "Mayuragni"
which means the peacock killer.
The nesting eagle pair in some
parts of Maharashtra have killed
peacocks regularly when the
smaller bird populations were
on the decline due to drought
conditions prevailing for some
years out there. Also from the
observers in Karnataka near
Belgaum a few peacock kills
were reported and were proven
correct by my friend Niranjan
who was investigating their
hunting areas. The unsuspecting
prey are usually ambushed from
a tree or while soaring. Mostly
the kills take place on the
ground but birds such as crows
and mynas are caught in midair
in a very typical falcon fashion.
The most preferred prey of the
Bonelli’s eagle in this
region (Karnataka & Maharasta)
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
copyright Clement Francis |
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are Crows.
As for me, I consider them as the
best hunting eagles found in India.
The prey species that we have recorded
include Blue Breasted Quails, Common
Quail, Painted Francolin, Grey Francolin,
Mynas, Crows, BlueRock Pigeons, Spotted
Doves, Laughing Doves, Jungle Babblers
and even Shikras. The mammals include
baby mongoose, Black-Naped hare, Field
Mouse, Palm Squirrels and reptiles
include Agama lizards, Monitor Lizards
etc.
Courting & Breeding:
Bonelli’s eagles pair for life
and their breeding rituals include
the adult birds soaring in the air,
soaring near the nesting site, dive
bombing at each other, and occasionally
calling to each other. They nest in
our region by end of October and beginning
of November. The nests that we have
studied have been used year after
year by adding twigs and fresh leaves.
The nest is 5-6 feet in diameter and
most of the nesting activity is carried
out by the female. Fresh twigs and
leaves are added by the female throughout
the nesting season. After mating 2
oval shaped white eggs are laid and
the incubation begins as soon as the
first egg is laid. The eaglet that
hatches first normally kills the younger
eaglet by repeatedly pecking at it.
During harsh seasons when prey availability
is low, the adults feed the carcass
of the young eagle to the stronger
first born. This was witnessed in
one of the nests studied in Maharastra.
Also we have witnessed both the eaglets
surviving to adulthood.
Bonelli’s eagles make excellent
parents. The adult female, for the
first 6 weeks after hatching, remains
with the young at most times. The
male hunts alone to feed |
both the female and the young. The prey
is brought to nearby trees or cliffs by
the male and the female, seeing the arrival
of the male, fetches the prey to the nest.
Only on a few occasions the male was seen
landing in the nest with the prey. The female
feeds the young with small morsels and also
eats herself. Sometimes the prey was brought,
kept in the Sun for one day, and fed to
the chicks on the next day. It could be
a technique to ripen/soften the meat so
that the young can feed on it easily. Any
intruders in the form of other birds of
prey or mammals like monkeys (Bonnet Macaques
& Langurs) are immediately chased away
by the parents. In one incident when Niranjan
was studying one particular nest, an adult
Langur was attacked and it ended up falling
in to the gorge of the hill and was killed.
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
copyright Clement Francis |
The young remain at the nest until 10 weeks
and practice flight in the nest by severe
wing beats. They make short sortees to nearby
trees and the parents continue to feed them.
The female now joins the male in the search
for food. The young are fed even when they
have taken to flight like the adults. Once
the young leave their nest and become completely
independent the adults are still seen near
the nesting site for some time.
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
copyright Clement Francis |
Threats and Importance of Conservation:
The main threat to the Bonelli’s Eagle
is habitat loss. In an over populated country
like India, most of their habitats are taken
by man for cultivation and colonization.
The breeding eagles then take to hunting
domestic chicken and are persecuted by poisoning.
In some places in Karnataka and Maharastra
due to some orthodox/cultural practices
the young of the eagles are taken from their
nests and burnt believing that the sins
of the villagers will be forgiven by doing
so. Our efforts in convincing the villagers
on the importance of these birds of prey
have produced rich dividends. Those nests
that are under our observation have always
been very successful and protected from
these negative forces. We even advertise
in the villages that when their domestic
birds are taken compensation will be paid
and these efforts have borne rich dividends.
Our conservation activity in these places
has ensured that the breeding season ends
successfully for the eagles and also the
locals are educated on the importance of
conservation. I would love to mention here
that my dear friend Dr. Satish Pande has
been a pioneer in these efforts.
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
(Young) copyright Clement Francis |
The way we work (Dr.Satish Pande, Niranjan
Sant and self) is the simplest way of running
a conservation project. Once the nesting
area of a endangered species is identified,
the first year is spent on collecting data
of the surrounding (people as well as the
wildlife present in the vicinity). Learning
the practices of the people who are living
out there and their impact on the nesting
bird or the impact of the nesting bird on
the people etc. One point that I feel any
conservationist should keep in mind is that
the people who are living close to wildlife
areas, their culture, practices and day
to day life style should be respected immensely.
There should not be any rift between the
conservationist and the locals, this solves
90% of the problem that are faced when some
one want to run a conservation project for
any species. The next is educating them
gradually and knowing the local’s
problems etc and trying to help out. In
few places in Maharastra we have helped
in the way of providing school books to
villagers who cannot afford them, school
fees and some jobs on temporary basis etc.
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
copyright Clement Francis |
It should be simple, done with love and
should never involve any negative relationships.
Bonelli’s Eagle story is one such
success. This was started by Dr.Satish Pande
around 8 years back in a very small way
but proved very very effective.
As far as money is concerned, Niranjan being
a industrialist has always helped, some
bird lovers through their small donations
have helped. We also shed most of the expenses
from our pockets, because more than any
things this is labour of Love.
This has provided rich dividends.
The main threats to the Bonelli’s
eagle in Europe are the adults and juveniles
getting caught in the power lines. Also
few hunters who are engaged in rabbit hunting
consider these birds of prey as competition
and eliminate them. Chemical poisoning takes
it's toll on the eagles and habitat loss
due to colonization is also a serious threat.
My sincere thanks to my friend Niranjan
Sant for sharing his experiences with the
Bonelli’s eagles.
Conservation is the KEY to saving this PERSONIFICATION
OF GRACE AND BEAUTY IN FLIGHT “The
Bonelli’s Eagle”.
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Bonelli's
(Hawk) Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus
copyright Clement Francis |
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