Ecology of Short-toed Eagle in Belarussian Poozerie. - V. Ivanovsky, D. Shamovich. - Berkut. 20 (1-2). 2011. - P. 81-89.
We studied the Short-toed Eagle in the territory of northern Belarus in 1981–2010. About 50-70 pairs of this raptor breed on the territory of about 40 thds. km2 with average density of 1.2–1.7 pairs/1000 km². Most of nest sites (n = 24) were found in pine bogs and transitional mires (87.5%). The rest (12.5%) were situated in dry pine forests interspersed with clearings and small sphagnum bogs. The distance between different nests of the same pair varied from 30 m to 1.5 km. Reproduction success was 66.7% (0.6 fledglings per pair) in 1981–1988, and 87.8% (0.87 fledglings per pair) in 1989–2010. Minimal distance between nests of two neighboring breeding pairs was 6 km. Fresh clutches were registered on 27.04.1991, 28.04.1998, and 5.05.1992. Hatching occur during the first decade of June. Fledglings can stay in nest as late as second half of August. 23.09.2009 adult birds still fed their totally grown and well flying young on the nest. Snakes (Adder and Grass Snake) consisted about 88.1% of prey occurrence in the diet of Short-toed Eagle. More than 60% of records of hunting Short-toed Eagles refer to pine bogs, 30% – to dry pine forests and 10% – to clearings, river valleys, forest glades and other open spots. [English].
Key words: Short-toed Eagle, Circaetus gallicus, breeding, nest, egg, feeding.
Address: V. Ivanovsky, Ecology and Nature Protection Department, Vitebsk Pedagogical University, Moskovsky av., 33, 210038 Vitebsk, Belarus; e-mail: ivanovski@tut.by.