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The short-toed eagle (Circaetus gallicus) is called that for one thing: it is the terror of snakes, which represent 80% of its diet. He swallows them starting with the head. I have managed to photograph her for La Vanguardia's Readers' Photos in the surroundings of the town of Altet, since she has already returned to these lands of Urgell.
These birds return to Catalonia precisely in March, when snakes and vipers come out of their winter rest and there are more possibilities to hunt them.
This bird of prey, which enjoys a good state of conservation, has a characteristic thick, rounded head, which some say reminds it of the eagle owl.
The short-toed eagle measures about 63-69 cm and has a wingspan of 185-195 cm. The male weighs between 1,100 and 2,000 grams and the female between 1,300 and 2,700 grams.
As can be seen in the photographs, the lower part of the body is white, the upper part is brown and the tips of the wings are black. It has large eyes, a very bright yellow color, although they can be distinguished in these images.
We might wonder how he manages to hunt snakes without suffering bites. The answer lies in the hard scales on the legs that serve as protection. Of course, just in case, vipers are not your first choice of food since they have a powerful venom.
