Higher classification Accipitrinae | Phylum Chordata Scientific name Circaetus Rank Genus | |
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Lower classifications Short‑toed snake eagle, Black‑chested snake eagle, Brown snake eagle, Western banded snake ea, Beaudouin's snake eagle | ||
Circaetus, the snake eagles, is a genus of medium-sized eagles in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. The genus name is from the Ancient Greek kirkos, a type of hawk, and aetos, "eagle".
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These are mainly resident African species, but the migratory short-toed snake eagle breeds from the Mediterranean basin into Russia, the Middle East and India, and winters in sub-Saharan Africa and east to Indonesia.
Snake eagles are found in open habitats like cultivated plains arid savanna, but require trees in which to build a stick nest. The single egg is incubated mainly or entirely by the female.
Circaetus eagles have a rounded head and broad wings. They prey on reptiles, mainly snakes, but also take lizards and occasionally small mammals.
Species in taxonomic order
Fossil record
Circaetus rhodopensis late Miocene of Bulgaria)
Circaetus haemusensis (early Pleistocene of Bulgaria)
