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Indian Spotted Eagle

 

 
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The Indian Spotted Eagle (Aquila hastata) is a large South Asia
South Asia

South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries on the west and the east....
n bird of prey
Bird of prey

Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. Their claws and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
. Like all typical eagle
Eagle

Eagles are large bird of prey which are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several Genus which are not necessarily closely related to each other....
s, it belongs to the family Accipitridae
Accipitridae

The Accipitridae is one of the two major family within the order Accipitriformes . Many well-known birds, such as hawks, eagles, kite , harrier and Old World vultures are included in this group....
. The typical eagles are often united with the buteo
Buteo

Buteo is a genus of medium-sized wide-ranging bird of prey with a robust body and broad wings. In the Old World, members of this genus are called "buzzards", but "hawk" is used in North America....
s, sea eagle
Sea Eagle

Sea eagle can mean:* Sea eagle , Haliaeetus, a genus of birds of prey which includes:** White-tailed Eagle** White-bellied Sea Eagle* Sea Eagle missile...
s and other more heavyset Accipitridae
Accipitridae

The Accipitridae is one of the two major family within the order Accipitriformes . Many well-known birds, such as hawks, eagles, kite , harrier and Old World vultures are included in this group....
, but more recently it appears as if they are less distinct from the more slender accipitrine
Accipitrinae

The Accipitrinae is the Family of the Accipitridae often known as the "true" hawks, including all members of Accipiter and the closely related Genus Melierax, Urotriorchis, Erythrotriorchis and Megatriorchis....
 hawks than believed.

Indian Spotted Eagle is about 60 cm in length and has a wingspan of 150 cm.






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The Indian Spotted Eagle (Aquila hastata) is a large South Asia
South Asia

South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries on the west and the east....
n bird of prey
Bird of prey

Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. Their claws and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
. Like all typical eagle
Eagle

Eagles are large bird of prey which are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several Genus which are not necessarily closely related to each other....
s, it belongs to the family Accipitridae
Accipitridae

The Accipitridae is one of the two major family within the order Accipitriformes . Many well-known birds, such as hawks, eagles, kite , harrier and Old World vultures are included in this group....
. The typical eagles are often united with the buteo
Buteo

Buteo is a genus of medium-sized wide-ranging bird of prey with a robust body and broad wings. In the Old World, members of this genus are called "buzzards", but "hawk" is used in North America....
s, sea eagle
Sea Eagle

Sea eagle can mean:* Sea eagle , Haliaeetus, a genus of birds of prey which includes:** White-tailed Eagle** White-bellied Sea Eagle* Sea Eagle missile...
s and other more heavyset Accipitridae
Accipitridae

The Accipitridae is one of the two major family within the order Accipitriformes . Many well-known birds, such as hawks, eagles, kite , harrier and Old World vultures are included in this group....
, but more recently it appears as if they are less distinct from the more slender accipitrine
Accipitrinae

The Accipitrinae is the Family of the Accipitridae often known as the "true" hawks, including all members of Accipiter and the closely related Genus Melierax, Urotriorchis, Erythrotriorchis and Megatriorchis....
 hawks than believed.

Description

The Indian Spotted Eagle is about 60 cm in length and has a wingspan of 150 cm. It is broad-headed, with the widest mouth of all spotted eagles. This species has a lighter coloration overall compared to its relatives, with a darker iris that makes the eyes appear darker than the plumage (rather than the other way around as in the northern spotted eagles). Adults can be told apart from the Greater Spotted Eagle by its lighter color, darker eyes, and habitat preferences (see below). Juveniles, unlike the Lesser and Greater species, are not strongly spotted at all, making the common name somewhat misleading, and also lack the creamy buff nape patch of the juvenile Lesser Spotted Eagle.

Systematics, taxonomy and evolution

The Indian Spotted Eagle was earlier considered the resident eastern subspecies
Subspecies

In biology, subspecies is the taxonomic rank immediately subordinate to a species. A subspecies is a taxonomic group which is less distinct than the Common descent or species from which it originates....
 of the Lesser Spotted Eagle
Lesser Spotted Eagle

The Lesser Spotted Eagle is a large Eastern European bird of prey. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. The typical eagles are often united with the buteos, sea eagles and other more heavy-set Accipitridae, but more recently it appears as if they are less distinct from the more slender accipitrinae hawks than beli...
 but has proven quite distinct and readily separable by morphological
Morphology (biology)

The term morphology in biology refers to form, structure and configuration of an organism. This includes aspects of the outward appearance as well as the form and structure of the internal parts like bones and organs....
, behavior
Behavior

Behavior or behaviour refers to the action s or reactions of an object or organism, usually in Relational theory to the environment. Behavior can be conscious or Unconscious mind, overt or covert, and voluntary or involuntary....
al, ecological
Ecology

Ecology is the science study of the distribution and Abundance of life and the interactions between organisms and their nature environment ....
 and DNA sequence
DNA sequence

A DNA sequence or genetic sequence is a succession of letters representing the primary structure of a real or hypothetical DNA molecule or strand, with the capacity to carry information as described by the central dogma of molecular biology....
 data. The Indian lineage seems to have diverged around the middle Pliocene
Pliocene

The Pliocene epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 1.806 million years before present.The Pliocene is the second epoch of the Neogene period in the Cenozoic era....
, perhaps some 3.6 million years ago, from the common ancestor of the Lesser and Greater Spotted Eagle
Greater Spotted Eagle

The Greater Spotted Eagle , occasionally just called the "Spotted Eagle", is a large bird of prey. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae....
s. The "proto-Spotted Eagle" probably lived in the general region of Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....
, being split into a northern and a southern lineage when both glaciers and desert
Désert

?D?sert? is ?milie Simon's debut single, released in October 2002. The song was a huge success both critically and commercially in her homeland....
s advanced in Central Asia as the last ice age began.

The spotted eagles as a group are quite distinct from the typical members of Aquila
Aquila (genus)

Aquila is the genus of true eagles. It is often united with the buteos, sea eagles and other more heaviset Accipitridae, but more recently it appears as if they are less distinct from the more slender accipitrinae hawks than believed....
, the "true eagles". They will probably be separated in Lophaetus, Ictinaetus or a genus of their own in the near future.

Distribution and ecology

This eagle is found in lightly wooded habitats in India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
. This species can often be approached quite closely for a large raptor
Bird of prey

Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. Their claws and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
. Unlike the Greater Spotted Eagle which is a winter visitor to Indian wetlands, this species does not show any special affinity for wetland habitats.

Footnotes


External links