Albania (B) (P), Algeria, Armenia (B), Austria (P), Azerbaijan (B) (NB), Belarus (B), Bosnia and Herzegovina (B), Botswana, Bulgaria (B) (P), Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Congo [The Democratic Republic of the], Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska) (B), Cyprus, Czech Republic (B), Djibouti, Egypt, Estonia (B), Ethiopia, Georgia (B) (P), Germany (B), Greece (B) (P), Hungary (B) (P), Iran [Islamic Republic of] (B) (P), Israel (P), Italy (P), Jordan (P), Kenya, Latvia (B), Lebanon (NB) (P), Lithuania (B), Macedonia [The Former Yugoslav Republic of] (B), Malawi, Republic of Moldova (B) (P), Montenegro (B) (P), Mozambique, Namibia, Palestinian Authority Territories (P), Poland (B), Romania (B) (P), Russia (European) (B), Rwanda, Serbia (B) (P), Slovakia (Slovak Republic) (B), Slovenia (B), South Africa, Spain (NB), Sudan, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic (P), Tanzania [United Republic of], Tunisia, Turkey (B) (P), Uganda, Ukraine (B), Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Vagrant to Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Kazakhstan, Kuwait (P), Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Luxembourg, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Oman (NB) (P), Portugal, Saudi Arabia (P), Swaziland, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates (NB) (P), Yemen (P).
Unknown to Iraq (NB).
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is 42,000 - 57,000 (2011).
Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina) [XC187952]
by Krzysztof Deoniziak from Schorfheide, Barnim, Brandenburg, Germany (alarm call)
Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina) [XC393708]
by Livon from Madonas novads, Vidzeme, Latvia (alarm call, call)
Subspecies
Aquila pomarina (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina) and Indian Spotted Eagle (Clanga hastata) following Parry et al. (2002).
Closely related to Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga), but specific status undoubted and they are sometimes considered to form a superspecies. May also be closely related to Wahlberg's Eagle (Hieraaetus wahlbergi), but more research needed. In past, Indian subspecies, hastata, often regarded as independent species, and its taxonomic status requires further study.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
pomarina (Brehm, 1831) - Central, eastern and south-eastern Europe through Turkey and Caucasus to southern Caspian lowlands; eastern limit not well known. Winters in southern Africa and perhaps eastern Africa.
hastata (Lesson, 1834) - India, Bangladesh and northern Myanmar.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet