The Short-toed Snake Eagle, golden-eyed raptor of the Var hills
A majestic raptor of Mediterranean thermal ridges, the Short-toed Snake Eagle is a strict reptile specialist, spending hours hovering motionless above the Var scrublands.
My field observations in the Var — sites, months and context
✓ Aug 2026 Synthesis (1 record)Photographed riding coastal thermals along the Giens peninsula ridges and hunting over the cork oak hills of the Massif des Maures.
Commented in situ photo gallery
4 telephoto photographs taken in the Var department (Rule 11)
Recognizing the species on my photos — visible details
Impressive 1.85 m wingspan with glowing white underparts lightly flecked with brown, owl-like rounded head and piercing golden-yellow eyes.
Sun-drenched garrigue, rocky limestone ridges and cork oak scrub.
Montpellier snakes, ladder snakes, green whipsnakes and ocellated lizards.
Photographing the species: field experience
Harsh midday light creates high contrast; the finest captures occur as birds bank low over ridge crests in early morning.
- •Swallows snakes head-first while in flight, sometimes with the tail trailing from its bill.
- •Possesses thick, scale-armoured legs that protect it from venomous snake strikes.
- •Departs for sub-Saharan Africa in late August through Gibraltar.
