Lesser Spotted Eagle

Accipitridae: vultures, kites, hawks, eagles, buzzards and harriers 181

Lesser Spotted Eagle 14û Gevlekte Arend LESSER SPOTTED EAGLE Aquila pomarina 1 5 This Palearctic migrant from eastern Europe and 18û Russia occurs in southern Africa from late Octo- ber (mostly late November) to March. When perched it is essentially a bulky version of Wahl- berg’s Eagle A. wahlbergi in appearance, with a 22û pale eye and, in juveniles, white in the tail and 6 wings. The thin leggings and the downward-bent 2 primaries in flight distinguish this from other Aquila species (Brooke et al. 1972), but from a 26û distance its silhouette in soaring flight can be con- fused with that of the Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus. It is perhaps most frequently recorded in the Kruger National Park and the Moremi Game 7 3 30û Reserve and Chobe National Park of northern Botswana, where it consorts with migrant Steppe Eagles A. nipalensis. It is usually recorded in woodland regions 4 8 where rainfall exceeds 600 mm. It occurs in lower 34û numbers than the Steppe Eagle, in the ratio of 1:5 18û 22û 26û in the Transvaal (Tarboton & Allan 1984). It is 10û 14û 30û 34û often seen singly or in small flocks (Steyn 1982b); a flock of at least 250 birds was reported from along the Khwai River (1923B) (Van den Brink et al. 1994). In January 1993, average linear densities from road counts in the Moremi Recorded in 250 grid cells, 5.5% region reached 1 bird/950 m (M. Herremans unpubl. data). Total number of records: 522 Like the Steppe Eagle, it is attracted to the emergence of Mean reporting rate for range: 3.4% termite alates following good rains, and also to Redbilled Quelea Quelea quelea breeding colonies. Two long-distance recoveries are known: an adult ringed in the Kruger Park was recovered 11 months later 7350 km away near the Caspian Sea and another ringed in Czecho- Reporting rates for vegetation types slovakia was recovered 7509 km away near Harare (1731CC), % 0123 three years later (SAFRING). Satellite tracking studies indicate enormous wanderings in southern Africa, covering Okavango 2.2 25 000 km2 (Meyburg et al. 1995). Mopane 1.8 Conservation efforts to assist this declining species (Mey- Northern Kalahari 1.6 burg 1973) in eastern Europe include establishing a special Arid Woodland 1.2 working group, determining natural breeding rates and Miombo 1.2 siblicide levels (< 3% of 410 nests naturally reared a second Moist Woodland 0.2 chick; Belka et al. 1990), assisting the survival of second- East Coast Littoral 0.1 hatched chicks and requesting southern African ornithologists to report sightings of colour-marked birds (Danko 1990).

R.E. Simmons

15 1 5 10 5

15 2 6 10 5

15 3 7 10 5

15 Occurrence reporting rate (%) 4 8 10 5

J ASONDJ FMAMJ J ASONDJ FMAMJ Models of seasonality for Zones. Number of records (top to bottom, left to right): Occurrence: 47, 1, 0, 0, 107, 111, 28, 0.