Crowned eagle
The crowned eagle, a formidable raptor native to sub-Saharan Africa, is renowned for its impressive hunting skills and striking appearance. Characterized by a distinctive double tuft of black-tipped feathers on its head, this eagle boasts slate-black plumage on its back and a tan or reddish underside, providing effective camouflage in its forest and savanna habitats. Adult crowned eagles typically measure between two to three feet in length and can weigh up to nine pounds, with females being slightly larger than males.
These eagles are known for their bold hunting tactics, often preying on animals such as monkeys and small antelope that can weigh up to five times their own body weight. They usually hunt during early mornings and late evenings, using their sharp talons and hooked beaks to capture and feed on prey. Crowned eagles are monogamous, forming lifelong pair bonds and engaging in elaborate courtship displays. They build large nests in tall trees, which they maintain and expand over the years, laying one or two eggs that the female incubates. Despite facing threats primarily from habitat loss, crowned eagles can live up to 15 years in undisturbed environments.
Subject Terms
Crowned eagle
The crowned eagle is a skillful and fierce raptor, or bird of prey. It does not hesitate to attack monkeys, small antelope, and other large mammals which may be five times as heavy as the eagle itself. A pair of eagles often hunt together to kill larger prey. One eagle may even attack human beings who approach too close to its nest.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Stephanoaetus
Species: Coronatus
The crowned eagle is named for the double tuft, or crest, of black-tipped feathers on the top of its head. Most of the time the crest lays flat, but when the eagle becomes excited or alarmed it raises the crest so that it stands upright. An adult eagle has slate-black plumage, or feathering, on its back. Its underside is tan or reddish with black bars. These colors and patterns provide good camouflage. A juvenile eagle has much lighter plumage and a white crest. The adult's body is two to three feet (60 to 90 centimeters) long and weighs eight to nine pounds (three to four kilograms). The female is slightly larger and heavier than the male. The broad wings of the crowned eagle are around 6 1/2 feet (two meters) from tip to tip.
Whether it is in dense forests or open woodlands, savanna or semi-arid regions, the crowned eagle is very much at home in most of sub-Saharan Africa. Even though it is large, the eagle moves quickly and easily among the trees. Each pair of adult eagles patrols its territory, calling loudly to warn intruders, especially other eagles. Early in the morning and late in the evening are the regular hunting times for the eagle. From its perch in a tree the eagle waits for prey to approach and then pounces. Common prey are monkeys, small antelope, and other mammals. The eagle is not afraid to attack prey which may weigh up to 40 pounds, which is five times heavier than the eagle itself. For some reason, monkeys are not afraid of the eagle when it is perching and may even tease it by pulling its legs. However, when the eagle is in flight, the monkeys are more careful. Other large prey falls under the sharp talons and hooked-beaks of the eagle and its mate. The eagle eats its smaller prey, bones included, on a perch or at the nest. It tears larger prey apart and carries the pieces away.
An eagle is able to mate for the first time when it is three to five years old. Once the eagle finds a mate, the two mate with each other for life and usually only once every two years. After a male attracts a female to his territory, the two perform courtship displays in the air over their nest. Like other eagles, the two may join talons and free fall through the air while spinning and cartwheeling. Before they mate, they may spend five months building their large nest of twigs and branches. Their nest in the top of a tree may be five feet (1 1/2 meters) wide. In following years they may spend three months rebuilding and expanding the nest until it is over seven feet (two meters) across the top and three feet (one meter) deep.
Mating occurs during the dry season. The female lays one or two eggs in the nest. Although the female incubates the eggs for most of the seven-week period, the male may take brief turns while the female hunts. When the female is on the nest, the male brings food to her. Usually only one of the two chicks survives. The mother is fiercely protective of her young and may even threaten the father when he approaches the nest. A crowned eagle has been known also to attack human beings who came too close to its nest. After six weeks the chick is able to feed itself, but receives food from its mother until it is two months old. Adult plumage appears on the growing chick when it is almost three months old, and after another month it is able to fledge, or to fly for the first time. Independence from its mother and father comes when the young eagle, or eaglet, is 7 to 11 months of age.
No real dangers, except perhaps loss of habitat, threaten the crowned eagle. It is reasonably safe to assume that it may live to an average of 15 years if it is left undisturbed.