From Opus

Photo by Mybs
Kruger National Park, South Africa, March 2006

Polemaetus bellicosus

[edit] Identification

Length 78-83 cm, mass 3-6 kg; a huge eagle.
Adult is mostly dark brown, but underside of the body from upper breast to vent is pale with dark spots. In flight, the underside of the body contrasts to both the head/throat and to underside of wings which also are dark brown.
Juvenile has head and breast pale, but white feathering on legs and flight feathers with many dark bands separate this from juvenile Crowned Hawk-Eagle.

[edit] Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa: occurs from Senegal east to Ethiopia and north-west Somalia and south to the Cape.

Absent from the heavily-forested areas of Central Africa and scarce to rare in much of West African range.

Resident with some wandering of immatures.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

[edit] Habitat

Savanna, thornbush, open woodland and forest edge.

Immature
Photo by Steve G
Samburu National Park, Kenya, July 2010

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

They hunt various prey including francolins, guinea fowl, monkeys and even small antelope such as Dik-dik.

Adult in flight Photo by Valéry Schollaert Ruaha NP, Tanzania, July 2011

Older immature sitting Photo by redmill Kruger NP, South Africa, February 2002

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. BF Member observations

• List of references

[edit] External Links