A rare predator was spotted in the Chernobyl Reserve, swallowing snakes whole

A predatory member of the hawk family was spotted near the remote village of Dibrova, the Chernobyl Reserve reported.

The snake-eater got its name because of its unique diet - it hunts mainly snakes, which it is able to swallow whole, even if they are large in size. It also feeds on lizards and frogs.

According to scientists, the birds are already actively moving around the hunting territories and hunting, often using power lines as convenient observation points. Young chicks will start leaving the nests after 15 August, and in autumn snake-eaters will go on their first migration in their lives - to winter in Africa.

This species arrives to Ukraine in spring and nests in tall trees near open places - glades, clearings and bogs. A pair is formed once and for life, returning to the same nest every year.

What a snake-eater looks like: