Indian Spotted Eagle

Indian Spotted Eagle

Aquila hastata

Silhouette: Shyamal · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Chennai

In 3 days <5%

23 Verified sightings at Chennai
825 In all 7 parks From 2019 to 2026
February Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Indian Spotted Eagle

The Indian spotted eagle (Clanga hastata) is a large bird of prey native to the Indian subcontinent. 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 accipitrine hawks.

The Indian spotted eagle is about 60 cm (24 in) in length and has a wingspan of 150 cm (59 in). It is broad-headed, with the widest mouth of all spotted eagles. This species is a lighter 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 two northern spotted eagle species). Adults can be told apart from the greater spotted eagle by its lighter colour, darker eyes, and habitat preference. After about three or four months the young birds are glossy brown with the tips of the head and neck feathers being creamy and giving a spotted appearance. The upper tail coverts are light brown with white giving a barred appearance. The median coverts have large creamy spots. After about eighteen months the bird moults and... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
~30%
2 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
3 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
4 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
5 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
6 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
7 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Vasai-Virar 🇮🇳 India
~10%
2 Varanasi 🇮🇳 India
<5%
3 Kolkata 🇮🇳 India
<5%
4 Lucknow 🇮🇳 India
<5%
5 Mumbai 🇮🇳 India
<5%
6 Kalyan-Dombivli 🇮🇳 India
<5%
7 Mysuru 🇮🇳 India
<5%
8 Chennai 🇮🇳 India
<5%
9 New Delhi 🇮🇳 India
<5%
10 Bengaluru 🇮🇳 India
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Indian Spotted Eagle in Chennai?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Spotted Eagle sighting in Chennai on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 177th most-seen of the 223 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Indian Spotted Eagle in Chennai?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Spotted Eagle in Chennai on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see an Indian Spotted Eagle?

Between 4 and 7 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Indian Spotted Eagle sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Chennai the best place to see an Indian Spotted Eagle?

8th of 10

Of the 10 cities where we can rate Indian Spotted Eagle sightings, Chennai ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Vasai-Virar (India, about 10%), Varanasi (India, under 5%) and Kolkata (India, under 5%).

Where does the Indian Spotted Eagle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Indian Spotted Eagle is recorded against all the birds logged in Chennai (23 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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