Aquila pomarina

The Lesser Spotted Eagle is classified as Regionally Extinct (RE). It became extinct during the 1950s and since then no breeding attempts were observed. The literature notes that the species that once nested in northern Israel is the Greater Spotted Eagle (Sela 1975, Paz 1986, Shirihai 1996), but a renewed assessment based on global distribution patterns and habitats of Lesser and Greater Spotted Eagles, shows that the species that nested in Israel was probably the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Hatsofe 2005). In the previous edition of the Red Book (2002), it was not assessed (NA) and instead the Greater Spotted Eagle was classified as Regionally Extinct (RE).

Habitats	Parks & Woodlands, Mediterranean Maquis
Presence In Israel	Summer
Breeding In Israel	Bred in the past
Migration Types	Long Range
Zoographical Zones	Mediterranean
Landscape Types	Mountainous
Vegetation Types	Forest, Mediterranean Maquis, Mediterranean Garrigue, Steppe
Vegetation Densities	Medium
Nest Locations	Tree
Diet Types	Terrestrial Vertebrates, Carrion
Foraging Grounds	Ground
Body Sizes	Large (over 1000g)
Threat Factors	Pesticide Poisoning, Lead Poisoning, Hunting and trapping

The Lesser Spotted Eagle is a relatively small and dark eagle that nests in forested areas. Its plumage is uniformly brown, its thighs or “boots” are long and narrow and its beak is small compared to other eagles. In flight, it reveals broad rectangular wings, with paler coverts than its flight and tail feathers. It feeds on small mammals that are found in open fields and plains, occasionally near water sources.

About 15 pairs of Lesser Spotted Eagles nested in northern Israel until the 1960s. Most of the nests were on the edges of the Hula Valley, but also in other parts of the Galilee, Mt. Gilboa and Mt. Carmel. An unsuccessful breeding attempt was recorded in Nahal Kziv in 1972 (Sela 1975, Paz 1986, Shirihai 1996).

About 15 pairs of Lesser Spotted Eagles formerly bred in northern Israel, particularly on the edges of the Hula Valley but also in other parts of the Galilee, Mt. Gilboa and Mt. Carmel, until the 1960s. An unsuccessful attempt at breeding was recorded in Nahal Kziv in 1972. Today Lesser Spotted Eagles are common passage migrants in most parts of Israel in autumn and spring.

The chances of Lesser Spotted Eagles returning to breed in Israel naturally are estimated to be low because of Israel’s location relative to the global range of the species (closest breeding is in southern Turkey), its extinction in Syria and Lebanon and the disjunction from Eastern European populations. All of these factors make the species low priority for reintroduction (Hatsofe & Mayrose 2015, Master Plan for Raptor Conservation in Israel ).

• הצופה, א. 2004. איזה "עיט מנוקד" קינן בישראל במאה ה- 20? העזניה 32, הוצאת טבע והדברים והחברה להגנת הטבע.
• סלע, י. 1975. סקר העופות הדורסים 1970–1975. אוניברסיטת תל-אביב: המכון לחקר שמירת הטבע.
• פז, ע. 1986. עופות. מתוך אלון, ע. (עורך), החי והצומח של ארץ ישראל. כרך 6. הוצאת משרד הביטחון, ישראל.

• Shirihai, H., 1996. The Birds of Israel. Academic Press, London.
• Symes, A. 2013. Species generation lengths. Unpublished, BirdLife International.
• Species page at Birdlife International