Bateleur eagle
The Bateleur eagle is a striking bird of prey known for its impressive acrobatic flying abilities, which include diving, tumbling, and rolling. Its name derives from the French word for "acrobat," reflecting its unique flight style resembling a tightrope walker. Native to regions south of the Saharan desert in Africa, the Bateleur eagle thrives in open habitats like woodland savannas and grasslands, avoiding deserts and dense forests. This eagle typically measures between 21 to 28 inches in length and has a wingspan of five to six feet, allowing it to soar to great heights, sometimes reaching up to 13,000 feet.
The Bateleur eagle primarily preys on snakes, lizards, and small mammals, demonstrating remarkable hunting techniques. It is also known for its strong pair bonds, often mating for life and engaging in elaborate courtship displays. While the species has been respected by various African cultures, particularly the Nguni-speaking tribes who refer to it as "the warrior bird," its population is currently facing threats due to habitat loss and poisoning from agricultural practices. Classified as "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, conservation efforts are crucial to ensure the survival of this remarkable eagle.
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Bateleur eagle
The bateleur eagle is famous for its acrobatic flying. Bateleur is the French word for "acrobat," "tightrope walker," or "tumbler." The bird tips its wings from side to side like a tightrope walker tipping a balancing pole. It also dives, tumbles, and rolls, and is among the most acrobatic fliers of all the birds of prey.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Terathopius
Species: Ecaudatus
The bateleur eagle is native to areas south of the Saharan desert in Africa. In terms of habitat, it avoids both the desert and areas of dense forest and instead prefers plains and open habitat such as woodland savannas and grasslands. The people of Africa have respected the bateleur eagle for hundreds of years. One group of people, the Nguni-speaking tribes, called the eagle "ingqungqulu," which means "the warrior bird." They believed they would win a battle if one of these eagles flew over their enemy.
A bateleur eagle is around 21 to 28 inches (54 to 70 centimeters) long. It weighs between four and seven pounds (two to three kilograms). Body plumage (feathering) is reddish-brown with some black parts, and the head and neck are black. The feathers around the head and neck are sometimes fanned, which makes the head look larger, as if the eagle had a mane of black feathers similar to a lion's mane. The forward edges of the wings are speckled and light brown, followed by bands of darker brown and then white. The trailing edges of the wings are black. It has a sharp, hooked, downward-curving beak on its bare, red face.
Like other birds of prey, the bateleur eagle spends many hours each day soaring on its broad wings, which span five to six feet (1 1/2 to 2 meters). It is able to ride a thermal, or a rising air current, to great heights and glide for hours at a time. It can soar up to 13,000 feet (3,900 meters) in elevation. Each day it may fly up to 300 miles (480 kilometers) looking for food. It can also fly at speeds between 30 to 50 miles (50 to 80 kilometers) per hour.
Within the family of birds of prey, the bateleur eagle belongs to a group of eagles called snake eagles. The name comes from the bird's ability to kill snakes, such as puff adders, and other reptiles, such as monitor lizards. It also eats many other animals, such as mice, rats, hares, galagos, fish, birds, and small antelope. The eagle may dive quickly and strike its prey, or it may drop more slowly, or even force another eagle to surrender its prey.
A male and female eagle perform a courtship flight in which they lock talons and free fall before releasing and soaring upward. The bateleur eagle generally mates with only one other eagle during the season, and usually this is for life. Mating occurs between December and June, depending on where the eagles live. They build a nest in a baobab or acacia tree. The nest may be two feet (60 centimeters) across. The female lays a single, large, white, red-speckled egg. Both male and female incubate the egg, which hatches after more than six or seven weeks. The young is able to fly for the first time after three months and is independent at six months old. In three years the young eagle is able to mate. It may live to be 12 to 15 years old.
The bateleur eagle population is suffering because of habitat loss. They are also dying because they are ingesting poisons farmers use on livestock carcasses. Once the livestock dies, farmers lace them with poison in order to catch other animals, such as lions and jackals, who prey on their livestock. However, because the eagle eats carcasses, it is poisoned as well. The birds are also trapped and killed for their feathers because medical healers use their plumage to predict the future. They are currently classified as "near threatned" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (INCU) list.
Bibliography
“Bateleur Eagle.” Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, 22 July 2023, lazoo.org/explore-your-zoo/our-animals/birds/bateleur-eagle/. Accessed 30 Mar. 2024.
“Bateleur Eagle.” The Peregrine Fund, peregrinefund.org/explore-raptors-species/eagles/bateleur-eagle. Accessed 30 Mar. 2024.
Keats, Derek. “Bateleur.” Animalia.Bio, animalia.bio/bateleur. Accessed 30 Mar. 2024.