Indian spotted eagle (2 Viewers)

[cheshirebirder]

Last November while on a trip to Goa, we saw a "Greater spotted eagle " flying over a local marsh. At least , that's what the bird guide who accompanied us called it , and as my field guide (Grimmett & Inskipp) also uses that name ,I thought no more of it until today.However I today came across a DVD which said that "Indian greater spotted eagle" had been split from greater spotted (as seen in eastern Europe). Quick look in Clements has Indian spotted(aquila hastata) and Greater spotted (aquila clanga) as seperate species.
So ,can anyone please clarify what the situation is ? Which species was it likely that I saw -and why does a reasonably up-to-date fieldguide not mention Indian spotted eagle ?
thanks, Bill.

 

[Richard Klim]

Indian Spotted Eagle Aquila hastata has been split from Lesser Spotted Eagle A pomarina by (eg) IOC, BirdLife International and Cornell (Clements) - not from Greater Spotted Eagle A clanga.

Both Greater and Indian Spotted Eagles are possible in Goa.

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Which species was it likely that I saw -and .

..and to add that Greater Spotted is a commoner bird in India in the winter than Indian Spotted.

 

[cheshirebirder]

Thanks, guys. My confusion came from the DVD which seemed to indicate it had been split from "greater".By the way, that fieldguide only has aquila clanga and aquila pomarina in it ! Must be an old edition? (yet not bought more than a couple of years ago).

 

[Daniel Philippe]

Both Greater and Indian Spotted Eagles are possible in Goa.

Where did you find this Richard ? I cannot find a ref where the range of hastata extends to Goa.

 

[Larry Sweetland]

The existance of hastata is a bit of a myth, like Garuda. Don't talk to me about bl@%dy hastata. Seen plenty of people cocking them up though. Me? bitter?

 

[Jane Turner]

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=10961

If you want an idea of how hard they are!

 

[Richard Klim]

Where did you find this Richard ? I cannot find a ref where the range of hastata extends to Goa.

eg, Sunbird, Goa winter tours (Paul Holt):
hastata recorded on 9 of 12 tours (2007: recorded on 4 days, max day count = 4)
clanga recorded on 12 of 12 tours (2007: recorded on 5 days, max day count = 2)

Also...
goaenvis.nic.in/birdsofgoa.pdf ('pomarina', but presumably hastata)
www.kolkatabirds.com/south/goaclist.htm
www.backwoodsgoa.com/A-checklist-of-the-Birds-of-Goa-India.html
avibase.bsc-eoc.org/checklist.jsp?region=inswga&list=ioc&lang=EN

 

[Jane Turner]

I justhad a look for photos - since its 8 years since Iastdid - and a fair few photos are from Goa

 

[MJB]

Last November while on a trip to Goa, we saw a "Greater spotted eagle " flying over a local marsh. At least , that's what the bird guide who accompanied us called it , and as my field guide (Grimmett & Inskipp) also uses that name ,I thought no more of it until today.However I today came across a DVD which said that "Indian greater spotted eagle" had been split from greater spotted (as seen in eastern Europe). Quick look in Clements has Indian spotted(aquila hastata) and Greater spotted (aquila clanga) as seperate species. So ,can anyone please clarify what the situation is ? Which species was it likely that I saw -and why does a reasonably up-to-date fieldguide not mention Indian spotted eagle ?
thanks, Bill.

Preceding posts mentioned the separation of hastata from pomarina, but the main paper perhaps is:

Väli, Ü. 2006. Mitochondrial DNA sequences support species status for the Indian Spotted Eagle Aquila hastata. Bull. BOC 126 (3): 238-242.

An early championing of treating hastata separately came in:
Ferguson-Lees, J and D Christie. 2001. Raptors of the World. Helm. London. UK.
Ferguson-Lees, J and D Christie. 2005. Raptors of the World – a Field Guide. Helm. London. UK. (Contains updated taxonomy, distributions and ID)
MJB

 

[Daniel Philippe]

eg, Sunbird, Goa winter tours (Paul Holt):
hastata recorded on 9 of 12 tours (2007: recorded on 4 days, max day count = 4)
clanga recorded on 12 of 12 tours (2007: recorded on 5 days, max day count = 2)

Also...
goaenvis.nic.in/birdsofgoa.pdf ('pomarina', but presumably hastata)
www.kolkatabirds.com/south/goaclist.htm
www.backwoodsgoa.com/A-checklist-of-the-Birds-of-Goa-India.html
avibase.bsc-eoc.org/checklist.jsp?region=inswga&list=ioc&lang=EN

Thank you Richard,

... but I am still a bit confused:

In Parry et al. 2002 (On the taxonomic status of the Indian Spotted Eagle Aquila hastata), we can read:
"Hastata and pomarina further differ in their dispersal strategies. The Indian hastata is sedentary throughout its range (Ali & Ripley 1978, Prakash 1996), whereas pomarina is an obligate, long distance trans-Saharan migrant to Africa (Christensen & Sorensen 1989, Meyburg et al. 1996). In the field, hastata, compared to pomarina, appears closer to clanga in being overall a darker brown and having a more similar wing-shape and deeply emarginated outer primaries."

In Rasmussen et al. 2005 (Birds of South Asia - The Ripley guide), hastata is resident in Southern India, but (from the small map) not in Goa.

In goaenvis.nic.in/birdsofgoa.pdf , it is migratory.

In http://www.backwoodsgoa.com/A-checkl...Goa-India.html , it is resident in Goa.

Do we know for sure what is its status in Goa ?

 

[Richard Klim]

Do we know for sure what is its status in Goa ?

Given the conflict between the standard references and actual reports, it seems that the true status of hastata in S Peninsula is far from clear.

Much depends upon correct identification, but it's obviously being regularly claimed in Goa (in winter anyway) by first-rate birders. eg, also reported by Hannu Jännes (Birdquest) in at least 2009 (1 1st-winter) and 2007 (2 1st-winters). Or is everyone just assuming that they couldn't be pomarina...?

 

[Robin Edwards]

In November time a few years back I recorded Greater Spotted and Steppe Eagle in Goa (the Carambolim Marsh area was good for both from memory) but not Indian Spotted which is depicted as a Goan vagrant in my field guide.

I wouldn't rule out ISP eagle being confused with Steppe Eagles.

Robin

 

[CAU]

Based on tens of trips, Finnish birdwatchers have found that juvenile Indian Spotted Eagles winter commonly in Goa (but probably not older individuals). Steppe Eagle, on the other hand, is quite scarce. An identification article in Alula 2/2004 contains numerous photos of first winter Indian Spotted Eagles from Goa.

Here's one:
http://www.tarsiger.com/gallery/index.php?pic_id=muu1204225573&lang=eng

Compared with clanga, note that the barring on the secondaries and inner primaries extends to the tips of the feathers. Additionally, the seventh primary is short and the wings appear proportionally narrower. Compared with pomarina, the bars on the remiges are narrower and the inner primaries are paler.

Pomarina winters in Africa, and is rare even in the eastern parts of the Arabian peninsula (some pomarina-like birds wintering in Oman are probably hybrids between clanga and pomarina).

 

[MJB]

Based on tens of trips, Finnish birdwatchers have found that juvenile Indian Spotted Eagles winter commonly in Goa (but probably not older individuals). Steppe Eagle, on the other hand, is quite scarce. An identification article in Alula 2/2004 contains numerous photos of first winter Indian Spotted Eagles from Goa.

The status of hastata as sedentary seems correct, then, the birds seen in Goa being juveniles on dispersal, a common occurrence in many species where adults wander far less than juvenile/immature birds.

Concerning ID, I also understand that the leg feathering ('trousers') differs on hastata, being (I think I've got it the right way round) shorter than on pomarina.
MJB

 

[mb1848]

Lesson in the original description of hastata says:
"Les individus du Morphnus hastatus ont été rapportés du Bengale par M. Bélanger, "
Bengal is way north of Goa???
http://books.google.com/books?id=qx...&ved=0CEoQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=hastatus&f=false .

 

[Richard Klim]

Kapanen et al 2004

An identification article in Alula 2/2004 contains numerous photos of first winter Indian Spotted Eagles from Goa.

I'd forgotten that useful article:

• Kapanen, Lindholm & Forsten 2004. First-winter Indian Spotted Eagle Aquila hastata. Alula 10(2): 74-78.

... This article covers the field identification of juvenile Indian Spotted Eagle. It is based on the almost 40 individuals that the authors have seen in Goa, India in winter (MK 1999-2003), AL & AF 2003). ...

The Indian Spotted Eagle breeds in northern India (Ferguson-Lees et al. 2001). It is usually regarded as a resident, but the individuals in Goa are obviously wintering birds. We have only encountered first-winter birds there. Hastata is slightly less numerous than clanga, but it is not rare. In the observation period from November to March, the plumage of juveniles has been slightly worn, just as in wintering juvenile Greater Spotted Eagles. This suggests that breeding occurs during the northern summer. ...

When seen well, Indian Spotted Eagle is quite a distinctive eagle. The colouration does not seem to vary much. Simply put, from above a juvenile Indian Spotted Eagle looks like a juvenile Steppe Eagle, while from below it looks like a juvenile Greater Spotted.

Includes 11 photographs (7 hastata, 1 pomarina, 2 clanga, 1 nipalensis).

 

[TimInskipp]

Indian Spotted Eagle

Just to clarify the taxonomic status in our Pocket guide to the birds of the Indian subcontinent. This was first published in 1999 before the split of hastata was suggested and, although it has been reprinted several times we have not been able to revise it extensively. A new edition is in press (due out in January 2012 apparently) and it is treated as separate from pomarina there. Also the distribution map is updated to show breeding as far south as northern Maharashtra and northern Orissa, with (assumed) non-breeding records further south in Andhra Pradesh, Goa, c Karnataka, n Kerala and nw Tamil Nadu.

Our regional books Birds of Northern India (2003) and Birds of Southern India (2005) have treated hastata as a species.

Tim

 

[MJB]

Just to clarify the taxonomic status in our Pocket guide to the birds of the Indian subcontinent. This was first published in 1999 before the split of hastata was suggested and, although it has been reprinted several times we have not been able to revise it extensively. A new edition is in press (due out in January 2012 apparently) and it is treated as separate from pomarina there. Also the distribution map is updated to show breeding as far south as northern Maharashtra and northern Orissa, with (assumed) non-breeding records further south in Andhra Pradesh, Goa, c Karnataka, n Kerala and nw Tamil Nadu. Our regional books Birds of Northern India (2003) and Birds of Southern India (2005) have treated hastata as a species. Tim

Thanks, Tim. I think that's put the subject to bed!
MJB

 

[Mark Newsome]

As input into relative status in Goa (personal observation from numerous trips by myself and friends), Indian Spotted Eagle is the commonest Aquila, fairly easily found in winter but seemingly not so during the wet season. Greater Spotted is a scarce winter visitor, usually seen a handful of times in a 2 week trip. Steppe Eagle is much less frequently seen - maybe seen on one in five 2-week birding trips there. Same with Tawny Eagle - quite a rare bird in Goa and hard to find. Imperial Eagle is much rarer still, still just a handful of sightings that I'm aware of. Add in fulvescens Great Spotted, and you've got quite a confusing/educational set of eagles to look for!

When 'Lesser Spotted Eagles' (hastata) were first being noticed in Goa (maybe 15 years ago), it was a bit of a mystery as the known distribution did not come anywhere near the Western Ghats. Paul Holt discovered significant numbers in favoured areas, and this pattern went on to be the nom (although numbers can vary from year to year).
Favoured roosting sites can sometimes be found by watching them first appear in the mid-morning and working out where they've come from, and you can often get good close views (and photos!). Confusion with clanga isn't normally too much of a problem, for reasons CAU gives above.

Mark