From Opus

Alternative name: African Black Eagle

Aquila verreauxii

Photo by MBenadie
Photo taken: Magaliesberg Mountains, Gauteng South Africa.

[edit] Identification

75 to 95 cm. Black, with a black face.

[edit] Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. In Africa breeds in east Chad and west Sudan, from Ethiopia and extreme north-west Somalia south through Kenya and Tanzania and from eastern Zaire and Zambia south to the Cape and coastal Namibia. Status uncertain in Western Palearctic, may have bred in Israel and may do so in very small numbers on a more regular basis in southern Sinai and Jordan. Also occurs in extreme south-east Egypt and has bred in the Tassili N'Ajjer area of Algeria.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Habitat

Rocky mountains, gorges and kopjes, generally in remote areas with steep cliffs, mountains in deserts in parts of range. Range determined in part by presence of main prey species, Rock Hyrax.

[edit] Behaviour

They mate for life. 2 creamy white eggs are laid, four days apart in autumn, and are incubated for approximately 45 days.

It is a specialist hunter of hyraxes, but will also prey on birds such as guineafowl or mammals.

[edit] External Links