Order: Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae
Status: Category III (VU) – Vulnerable species.
Significance for gene pool preservation:
Polytypic species. The subspecies C.g. heptneri Dementiev, 1932 is recorded in Turkmenistan .

Distribution:
From the Karakum Desert to mountainous regions and river valleys . Outside Turkmenistan – Africa, Southern and Central Europe, Western and Central Asia, Northern India. Winters in Africa, Arabia and southern Asia .

Habitat:
Black saxaul forests (Karakum), pistachio woodlands (Badkhyz), juniper forests (Kopetdag). During hunting, it prefers open areas.

Population and trends:
In Eastern Karakum (Repetek), one pair nests annually . Pistachio forests of Akarcheshme hold 3-4 pairs . Badkhyz Reserve and its sanctuaries have 10-12 pairs . Central Kopetdag shows 5 sightings per 500 km . Southwest Kopetdag has 0.6 individuals per 10 km. In March-April 2016, Koytendag Nature Reserve and Tallymer-jen Plain recorded 9 sightings . Between 2009-2021, regularly seen in Southwestern Kopetdag in singles and pairs, nesting noted near Abadag, Pakyrshykh, Gysyguyu and Ayidere .

Main threats:
Decline in snake populations, nest destruction, disturbance, forest fires .

Biology:
A migratory and nesting species. Arrives in March, autumn migration occurs August-September. Builds nests in saxaul (desert), pistachio (Badkhyz), rocky niches (mountains), and turanga trees (river valleys). Lays one white egg weighing 134.5-135.5 g (59.3-61 x 73-76 mm). Incubation lasts 45-48 days. Feeds on snakes, agamas, long-legged skinks and yellow-bellied lizards .

Breeding:
Not carried out in captivity.

Conservation measures:
Listed as LC in the IUCN Red List; protected in Turkmenistan’s Red Book since 1985. Key nesting sites are under protection in reserves and sanctuaries [10]. Included in CITES Appendix II.

Recommendations:
Public awareness, preservation of saxaul, juniper, and pistachio habitats.

Research proposals:
Monitoring population status, searching for new nesting sites.