From Opus

Alternative name: Brown Harrier Eagle

Photo by Steve G
Bondali, Western Division, The Gambia, November 2005

Circaetus cinereus

[edit] Identification

• Dark brown
• Three narrow grey bars on white tipped tail
• Pale grey cere, legs and feet
• Yellow iris
• Black bill and feet
• Featherless legs

[edit] Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa. Widespread but patchy distribution breeding from Senegal and Gambia east to Ethiopia and Somalia and south to eastern South Africa. Absent from the closed forest areas of West and Central Africa and from much of the arid south-west. Uncommon to locally common over most of range.

Resident.

Photo by George Koninis
Kruger National Park. South Africa, May 2012

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

[edit] Habitat

Woodlands, edges of forest, savanna, and farmed land with scattered tall trees; avoids dense forest and very open country.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

The diet includes mainly snakes, large lizards and small mammals.

[edit] Breeding

It builds a nest of sticks and leaves, placed on top of trees. The single large, round, white egg is incubated by the female for 45 days.

[edit] References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. BF Member observations

• List of references

[edit] External Links