Aquila pomarina
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The lesser spotted eagle (Clanga pomarina) is a large Eastern European bird of prey. 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 than believed.
This is a medium-sized eagle, about 60 cm (24 in) in length and with a wingspan of 150 cm (59 in). Its head and wing coverts are pale brown and contrast with the generally dark plumage. The head and bill are small for an eagle. Usually, a white patch occurs on the upper wings, and even adults retain a clearly marked white "V" on the rump; the wing markings are absent and the white "V" is not well-defined in the greater spotted eagle.
The juvenile has less contrast in the wings, but the remiges bear prominent white spots. It differs from greater spotted eagle juveniles by a lack of wing covert spotting and the presence of a cream-colored neck patch. The call is a dog-like yip.
The birds formerly considered to be the resident Indian subspecies are now considered a separate species... Wikipedia →
Recording0:26
Ukraine · 2026
© Олександр Гриб · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:09
Slovakia · 2024
© Marek Hrušovský · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
Recording0:17
Lithuania · 2025
© navatnybe · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 2 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 3 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 4 | Bale Mountains National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 5 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 7 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Tatra National Park | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | |
| 9 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 10 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 11 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 12 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 13 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 14 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 15 | Gauja National Park | 🇱🇻 Latvia | |
| 16 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 17 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 18 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 19 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 20 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 21 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 22 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 23 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 24 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZooParc de Beauval | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Liberec Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | Kyiv Zoo | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 4 | Дельфинарий в Сочи-парке | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 5 | Brașov Zoo | 🇷🇴 Romania | |
| 6 | Odesa Zoo | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 7 | Дельфинарий "Сочи Парк" | 🇷🇺 Russia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Spotted Eagle sighting in Kruger National Park on a given day, based on 515 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 219th most-seen of the 464 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November to February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Spotted Eagle in Kruger National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to October, the lowest months. Those are among Kruger National Park's wettest months, with about 90 mm of rain a month against almost none in August.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesser Spotted Eagle sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
7th of 24
Of the 24 parks where we can rate Lesser Spotted Eagle sightings, Kruger National Park ranks 7th at under 5%. The best odds are in Białowieża National Park (Poland, about 30%), Biebrza National Park (Poland, about 10%) and Hwange National Park (Zimbabwe, about 10%).
Same genus: Aquila
The closest relatives of the Lesser Spotted Eagle that you can see in Kruger National Park (genus Aquila, True Eagles) are Tawny Eagle (about 30%) and African Hawk-Eagle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lesser Spotted Eagle is recorded against all the birds logged in Kruger National Park (515 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
