Species:

Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina)

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

Change species:
Main Images:
Length (cm):
60-65
90-98
Wingspan (cm):
134-159
175-195
Weight (gram):
1100-2000
1020-2073
Size group:
Bigger than a crow
Bigger than a crow
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Small eagle with evenly broad wings and relatively short tail. Easily confused with Greater Spotted Eagle (C. clanga). Flight-feathers darker than the pale brown coverts, both on upper- and underwing. Head and body distinctly paler than flight feathers. Conspicuous pale patch at base of inner primaries on upperwing (diffuse only in C. clanga). Double "commas" on underwing, formed by pale base of primaries and primary-coverts (one "comma" in C. clanga). Wings more narrow than C. clanga, which makes the tail look slightly longer. U-shaped white patch at base of tail. Immature birds with white tipped greater and median coverts, forming two narrow wing-bands. Wings "fingered", but 7th finger shorter than in C. clanga (but varies with age). Sours and glides with wings held horizontally, but with characteristic drooping hand (similar to C. clanga).

Sound:

Vocal at breeding ground, and when courting. Short, barking, high-pitched whistles, not unlike a small dog. Slightly higher pitched than C. clanga and with a purer tone, but very similar.

Call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Livon, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Very large, mostly unmistakable bird. Grey upperparts, white underparts and yellow/yellowish bill. Keeps neck retracted when flying (as opposed to crane). May be mistaken for Purple Heron, but back of neck grey, not brown. Bill heavy and dagger-shaped. Neck thicker and less angular than in Purple Heron. Unmarked cheeks.

Sound:

Quite vocal. Most common call a short, far reaching and extremely harsh, rasping sound. At breeding ground a varied repertoire of harsh and clattering sounds.

Flight call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Raptors
Silhouette
Heron-like
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
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ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file