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Unknown Eagle (1 Viewer)

David_H_UK

Active member
This photo was taken in Kruger National Park, South Africa.

I thought it was a Juvenile Martial Eagle, or an African Hawk Eagle.

Can anyone help with ID?

David
 

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Its got huge feet... afraid I know very little about African Eagles, but I'm sure someone who does will be along soon. Welome to BF!
 
Hi David and Welcome to Bird Forum from all the Moderators and Admin. Staff.
I'm not great on African raptors, but I'm sure someone will be along shortly to help out with the i.d.
Great photo by the way.
 
I would go for a juvenile Martial Eagle, the lack of streaking on the white breast and belly are indicative of Martial. Juvenile African Hawk Eagle is buffy below, and an adult is more contrasting than this bird with streaks on the breast.
 
I've not seen either species but a check in the SASOL guide makes me think it's probably an immature Martial Eagle. An African Hawk Eagle seems to have a relatively small bill with a yellowish cere, whereas Martial's bill is quite large and greyish, as with this bird.
 
I´d agree with the above said from David and Andrew; if I remember correctly African hawk eagle would also be shorter winged and longer tailed in comparism.

Joern
 
Could it be a pale morph young Wahlberg's Eagle? The secondaries seem to be uniformly dark rather than barred like Martial and others and the bill isn't all that big.

Dave
 
I was hoping to see this eagle when I took a trip to Kenya, East Africa, in February. Alas, it was not to be! I believe your photo is of a juvenile Martial Eagle, the spotting about the head, clear white breast and belly, white-markings in the wings with dark primaries, dark tail and "feathering on the legs down to the toes" are some of the characteristics I see which would seem to make it this species, in my opinion.
 
Spent six weeks in Kruger a couple of years ago with my partner, saw almost an identical bird - definitely a juv Martial, Hawk eagles (juv) have a rufous underside and adults have very definite streaked chest with a longer tail than your bird - great pic, what was it devouring ?! Welcome by the way.
 
godwit said:
Could it be a pale morph young Wahlberg's Eagle? The secondaries seem to be uniformly dark rather than barred like Martial and others and the bill isn't all that big.

Dave

I wondered about Wahlberg's but couldn't find any pictures of immatures. Adults seem to have a yellow cere but what about immatures? With the secondaries, does a Martial Eagle develop uniform secondaries after a year or two or do they remain barred?
 
Seems to me that it is rather a subadult Martial Eagle. The brown coloration on the head is in between adult and juvenile. I will look for photos of subadult Martial Eagle.

As far as I remember, Wahlbergs Eagle has yellow cere and yellow feet also as a juvenile;
and the legs of the bird on the photo look far too strong for a Wahlbergs Eagle.

Jörn
 
Hi all,
I know next to nothing about African raptors,but I sent a link to this page to a friend of mine who has been to S.Africa and Ethiopia and he also thinks that it is an imm.Martial Eagle.
Harry
 
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