Circaetus fossil map
Where fossils of Circaetus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 15.98–0.0117 million years ago (Langhian to Late Pleistocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Named by | Vieillot 1816 |
| Fossil records | 3 occurrences at 3 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Spain, France |
| Rock formations | txn:39323, Detritic-Carbonated Unit of Subirats |
About Circaetus
Circaetus, the snake eagles, is a genus of medium-sized eagles in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. They are mainly resident African species, but the migratory short-toed snake eagle breeds from the Mediterranean basin into Russia, the Middle East and India, and winters in sub-Saharan Africa and east to Indonesia.
Snake eagles are found in open habitats like cultivated plains and arid savanna, but require trees in which to build a stick nest. The single egg is incubated mainly or entirely by the female.
Circaetus eagles have a rounded head and broad wings. They prey on reptiles, mainly snakes (hence the common name), but also take lizards and occasionally small mammals.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Circaetus (revision 1351173998), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q867544.
