Common name: Lesser Spotted Eagle
Scientific name: Clanga pomarina
Family: Accipitridae

Size:
Body length: 55–65 cm
Wingspan: 135–165 cm
Weight: 1200–2000 g

Identification:
A medium-sized eagle with broad wings and a relatively short, rounded tail. Plumage is generally dark brown with a slightly paler head and upperwing coverts. Juveniles often show pale spots on the upperwings, giving the species its name. In flight, it appears compact with slightly raised wings and a steady, gliding style.

Habitat:
Woodlands, forest edges, open countryside, wetlands, and agricultural areas. Prefers mixed landscapes with both trees and open hunting grounds.

Status in Lebanon:
Common passage migrant. Regularly observed during migration, especially over mountain ridges and valleys where thermals aid soaring.

Diet:
Carnivorous — feeds on small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and large insects.

Behavior:
A soaring raptor that relies on thermal currents during migration. Hunts mainly on the ground, scanning from the air before descending on prey. Often seen migrating in groups. Generally solitary outside migration.

Conservation status:
Least Concern (IUCN Red List), but declining in parts of its range