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HABITAT FLIGHT: Prey Key Features: items:

 Hooked bill with festoon to upper mandible.  Elliptical, oblique nostril.  Tarsi feathered till toes; latter long, outer longer Heron than inner. Flight views showing broad wings that are held parallel to the body.  4th primary longest.  Tail more than or equal to wing length.  Wings extend to center of tail on perch. Bonelli’s is seen soaring over the agricultural-semi-arid habitat. If prey is sighted, the eagle stoops at it at a tremendous speed.  Tail has dark sub-terminal band.  Wing edges held parallel in fl ight. House Crow  Distribution: Widespread  Habitat: Hills and plains  Behavior: Keep in pairs all  Black bar through under wings. in the Indian subcontinent. amidst semi-urban, year. Aggressively guard the  White patch on back. Occurs from sea level up to agricultural, open, semi- territory. Juveniles disperse in  White under-body with streaks. 2400 m in Himalayas. From arid areas. Young 1st or 2nd winter. Usually silent;  Leading edge of wings white, trailing edge dark. , through India to disperse in marshes, wetlands, but vocal during breeding. South China. grasslands, coasts and semi- Call kie,kie, kie, kik, kik, kik is Pigeon The eagle is approaching its nest from the side. Note the vertical stance in fl ight and the  Status: Rare. Populations desert country. given in fl ight or from a perch. large size of the nest. This nest was in use for six years when the photograph was taken. are now declining in South  Habit: Aerial, arboreal and Flight speed is often faster Europe and North Africa. terrestrial. than that of the falcons. Related :

An array of prey items illustrating the hunting ability of this supreme avian predator! Quail FOOD

Prey is taken in The wings are powerfully air, from trees fl apped to generate the Booted Eagle or on ground. necessary lift when the Hieraatetus pennatus eagle takes to fl ight with (Wing under 450 mm). They hunt in Squirrel pairs. Lizards, prey held in its powerful This is a winter migrant. The juvenile Bonelli’s monitor lizard, talons. They fl y in circles; `Headlights’ on the Eagle (above) may be ducks, geese, soar, stoop and swoop on sides of neck are confused with prey. Deep dive during cormorants, typical. Rufous-bellied Eagle The white patch on the back is courtship display. egrets, herons, The eagle often takes domestic chicken. This habit angers local farmers and Mongoose Hieraatetus kienerii. water fowl, the Bonelli’s Eagle is often viewed as an unwanted and a pest. diagnostic for the species. domestic fowl, Amazing Facts: An aquatic bird. A Large-billed Crow. Pairs often hunt together. Food is cached in nest. Can take prey heavier Indian Coucal, The Bonelli’s Eagle also takes mammalian prey. than itself. Attack like Common Langur if they venture near crows, Shikra, the nest. Stoop as fast as a falcon. Falconers once trained the Bonelli;s koel, pigeons, Eagle to catch prey like fox and Chinkra. In one case, the same nest was doves, quails, reused for 30 years stressing the importance of traditional nest sites. francolins, spurfowls, mice, gerbil,  Etymology: : Gr. Hierax, hawk or falcon; aetus, squirrel, eagle. fasciatus, Late L. fascia, hand or girdle, refers to the mongoose, GLIMPSES OF THE SECRET LIFE dark terminal tail band. Common name after Prof. F. A. hare, etc. Flesh Bonelli (1784-1830). (Reference: Satish Pande (2009). Latin Names is eaten with of Indian Explained. Book by Ela Foundation. Published by Oxford bones. University Press and Bombay Natural History Society. Pages 1-506. Plus 18 colour plates.)

 Culture: In India this eagle was called ‘Vartulaksha’ - A squirrel. A Black-naped Hare. A Coucal. brilliant eyed and ‘Shashaghni’ - devorer of hare. A Catlle Egret. A quail. Nesting - Phenology Ela File

Bonelli’s Eagle perching on the ground. This a common habit.

 Threats: Tree felling and quar- replaced in nest within 48 hrs and rying lead to loss of nest sites. are accepted by parents. Fostering Confl ict with man due to poultry of orphaned nestlings in another lifting habit. It is poisoned or empty nest of same species within hunted for this habit. Clandestine the post-fl edging dependence but widespread trade for pets and period was successful. (Pande et falconry is ongoing. al, 2004. J. Raptor. Res. 38(4):381-  Protection: Included under 382). Conservation education and The female is larger than the male - reversed sexual A large traditional nest in a tree fork of A cliff nest. Schedule I of Indian Wild Life meticulous protection of known dimorphism, as seen in most raptors. Eucalyptus tree. (Protection) Act. nest sites with local peoples’ par-  Conservation: Nestlings stolen ticipation is the key to conserva- from the nest, if recovered, can be tion of this elegant raptor. 3: 1-6. Ela Foundation, Pune. Pune. ile 3: 1-6. Ela Foundation, Ela F

Eagle carrying fresh green spray to an active nest. are laid in a small cup within the large stick nest. This cup is lined by green leaves. Bonelli’s Eagle lifting poultry. Rehabilitation of 2.5 wk old eaglets.

FACT FILE: BONELLI’S EAGLE; SLENDER HAWK-EAGLE; CRESTLESS HAWK-EAGLE Hieraaetus fasciatus (Vieillot, 1822). Type locality: Montpellier, France. Naarach (Marathi); Morangi (Hindi); Sansagar (Gujarati); Kundeli slalwa (Telugu); Rajali (Tamil).

 Size: Length 68 53.4 mm. (Baker).  Chief Editor: Satish Pande. The eagle is preparing to incubate. One week old eaglets are caringly fed by the parent. Nestlings huddled in the cozy nest cup.  Associate editor: Niranjan Sant. – 72 cm. Weight:  Incubation: Note the yellow cere.  Photographs: Major inputs (prey capture, 1.4 – 2.4 kg. 42 – 44 d; Mostly cover) - Niranjan Sant. Also - Satish Pande, by female, also by Banda Pednekar, Avinash Nagare, Sanjay  Wing: Male - 45.8 Khatavkar and Kumar Pawar. to 54.2 cm; Female male.  Design: Kiran Velhankar, Media Next – 47.8 – 56 cm.  Fledging: Infoprocessors Pvt. Ltd.  Copyright and Published by:  Sexual maturity : 62 to 70 d. Ela Foundation, C-9, Bhosale Park, Probably after 3 y.  Bare parts: Sahakarnagar-2, Pune 411009. December 2012. www.elafoundation.org. Breeding season: Iris- Yellow - References: *Pande, Satish A., Amit P. November – April. orange. Cere and Pawashe, Banda Pednekar, Anil Mahabal, Reuven Yosef. How Long Is Too Long ? BONELLI’S EAGLE  Clutch: legs – yellow. A Case Of Fostering Nestling Bonelli’s 1 – 2 eggs. No Eagles (Hieraaetus fascitus) (2004) J. Raptor Research. 38(4):381-382. *Pande, Satish  Order: Falconiformes  Family: replacement A. (2003) A Mystery of the Disappearing  Status: Resident clutch. Eagles. Newsletter for Birdwatchers. Vol.43, Four weeks old eaglets show emerging grey Five weeks chicks. The eaglets can be Seven weeks old eaglet fl apping wings in preparation No.3, May-June 2003. Pp. 31-33. *Ali & . Parent is seen by their side. aged based on the . of its fi rst fl ight.  Eggs: White, Ripley (1969). *Naoroji, R. (2009). Conservation ovoid; 69.1 mm x Amit Pawashe, Shivkumar ‘Banda’ Pednekar, Through Nest site: Recorded to use the same nest for 15 to 30 yr. In Nest material: Old traditional nests made of sticks and www.elafoundation.org Kumar Pawar, Unmesh Barbhai, Prashant Education & tall trees (Jamun, Silk Cotton, Peepal, Dalbergia, Eucalyptus, branches can be 2 m wide and 2.5 m high and may crash Deshpande, Niranjan Sant, Avinash Nagare Research and Satish Pande did fi eld research for 14 ELA FOUNDATION Chir Pine, etc.). Also on cliff s in ledge with overhang. Rarely due to their weight (up to 1 ton). Inner cup is made of Sponsored by: Shri. Shailendra K. Mhaskar years in Maharashtra, India. on hill slopes. More than one nest in same territory. green sprays which are added till the nest is active. Pande, Satish, Niranjan Sant, Amit Pawashe, Shivkumar Pednekar and Kumar Pawar (2012). Bonelli’s Eagle. Eagle. (2012). Bonelli’s Pawar and Kumar Shivkumar Pednekar Satish, Niranjan Sant, Amit Pawashe, Pande, citation: Recommended