Tawny Eagle eating spiny-tailed lizard
Tawny Eagle eating spiny-tailed lizard. Tal Chhappar, Rajasthan, India.
About the Tawny Eagle
The Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax) is a medium sized eagle in the family Accipitridae. Tawny eagles have a widespread but fragmented breeding range throughout Africa and the Indian subcontinent. They can be seen in in dry open habitats such as Mountain plains, semi deserts, deserts steppes and savanna.
Like most raptors, tawny eagles are both highly opportunistic scavengers and formidable hunters. Their diet consists mainly of fresh carrion, smaller birds, mammals such as rabbits and hares, insects and reptiles.
The Tawny Eagle will also steal prey from other raptors a behaviour known as ‘kleptoparasitism’.
Due to loss of nesting habitat, persecution and poisoning amongst other factors this once numerous eagle is on the brink of extinction, currently listed as vulnerable
You can find out more about Tawny Eagles
About Tal Chhapar:
Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Northwestern Rajasthan on the fringe of the Great Indian Desert; The Thar. This small grassland habitat is surrounded by sparse scrub and dry dusty plains peppered with salt pans. Originally a hunting ground for the Maharaja of Bikaner it was declared a sanctuary in the 1960s.
India’s Grasslands are home to some of its most endangered species, many of which are endemic. This important habitat now only exists in a handful of places in India and is sadly becoming increasingly scarce.
This stunning grassland wasn’t always the paradise seen today. After decades of neglect and encroachment by the nearby salt production the sanctuary was in a sorry state. Thanks to efforts coordinated by Mr. S.S.Poonia, the range forest officer at Tal Chhapar, over the years the grassland has been transformed. After gradually stripping away the invasive plant; Prosopis juliflora a variety of grasses were planted such as Mothiya grass, a favourite of the blackbucks, which derives its name from ‘moti’ meaning pearl, as its sweet seeds look like pearls. The final result is vast swathes of pristine grassland bustling with animal life.