ORDER
Falconiform.es
FAMILY
Accipitridae
GENUS & SPECIES
KEY FEATURES
• Extremely large wingspan and a short tail give this eagle a unique flying style: it turns by banking like an aircraft, rather than using its tail as a steering rudder
• Hunts on the wing, soaring above the ground before spiraling down to strike its prey
• Indulges in dramatic courtship flights — the male makes spectacular 360° rolls in midair
WHERE IN THE WORLD?
Found across much of Africa south of the Sahara Desert, but absent from Republic of South Africa, parts of Somalia and the forested regions around the equator
Lifecycle
Whether hurtling down upon a live victim, descending to feed on carrion, or ambushing other scavengers and stealing their kill, the bateleur is a master opportunist.
HABITAT
The bateleur occurs in woodland and savannah dotted with trees that provide perches and nesting sites. It occasionally ranges into semi-desert thornbush and open grassland. In West Africa it migrates to the fringes of the Sahara during the rainy season. It usually avoids dense forest regions and mountains, but the bateleur has nested at more than 13,200′ in Ethiopia.
Life on the road The adaptable bateleur occupies a huge range.
Bateleur is a French word meaning “circus performer.” It refers to the eagle’s acrobatic displays and habit of rocking, like a tightrope walker, inflight.
During its courtship flight, the beating wings of the bateleur produce a loud whup-whup sound.
The bateleur has scavenged corpses of war victims; some tribes believe that the eagle carries away their spirits.
CONSERVATION
In East Africa and in the larger nature reserves of West and southern Africa, the bateleur is common, but elsewhere its numbers are declining, especially in Sudan. Intolerant of humans when rearing its young, the bateleur often deserts its nest if it feels threatened. It is also seen as a threat to livestock, and has been poisoned by farmers. Collection from the wild for zoos and aviaries is now restricted by international law.
BREEDING
The bateleur breeds all year; but in East Africa, mating peaks in February and March.
During courtship, partners dive and roll; the female flies upside down and presents her talons to the male as he swoops past.
The cup-shaped nest is built in a large, shady tree; it is repaired each year The , female lays a single white egg, occasionally dotted with a few red speckles, and takes on most of the eight-week incubation — the longest of any African eagle species. Both parents rear the chick, and a juvenile reared the previous season often brings food for its sibling.
A Finishing school After fledging, the juvenile depends on its parents for four months.
CHILDHOOD LESSONS
1 It Pounce…
Watched by its offspring, a parent pounces on a snake, talons extended to strike.
2 Snatch…
The juvenile takes the struggling reptile from its parent; it learns by practice how to kill prey adeptly.
FOOD & HUNTING
The opportunistic bateleur attacks anything from grasshoppers to small species of antelope. Groups of up to 50 juveniles gather to feast on winged termites emerging from their nests, and adults hunt birds as big as guineafowl.This eagle also takes carrion and even snatches carcasses from vultures and other scavengers in bold, piratical attacks.
Small mammals are probably the bateleur’s favorite prey, which it hunts on the wing from a height of I 60′ or so. Gliding back and forth, it watches for any movement that could betray a grass rat, a dik-dik or a gazelle fawn. On spotting a victim, it corkscrews down in a spiral, slamming into its target with its talons. It then tears the carcass with its sharp and powerful bill.
The long wings and short tail of the bateleur are an adaptation for soaring and gliding. Lacking an effective rudder, the bateleur turns by banking from side to side. It stays aloft for most of the day, soaring in circles on thermals (warm, rising air currents) with its wingtips splayed to reduce air turbulence. Between thermals the eagle glides fast and straight with its wingtips swept back. Adults usually remain in large territories, but nomadic juveniles wander more widely often covering 180 miles or more a day
3 Preen…
The adult demonstrates how to keep its feathers in good condition with regular washing and preening.
4 Splash
While the adult dries its wings, the juvenile tries to wash; it will improve with practice.
Expanding taste The bateleur has a more broad-ranging diet than its snake eagle relatives.
PROFILE
Bateleur
With a powerful and murderously hooked bill shaped for hacking into its victims, the bateleur makes quick work of prey — whether dead or alive.
CREATURE COMPARISONS
Verreaux’s eagle (Aquila verreauxi) shares parts of the bateleur’s range in East Africa. It is the largest eagle in Europe, Africa and Asia, with a wingspan of up to 8′ and a weight of up to 13 lbs. The bateleur and Verreaux’s eagle are superb fliers, and both hunt mammals. But where the bateleur favors wooded savannah and feeds on a wide range of prey Verreaux’s eagle generally prefers more arid, rocky terrain, and specializes in preying on hyraxes — rabbit-sized animals that live on cliffs and rocky outcrops in sub-Saharan Africa.
VITAL Weight |
STATISTICS 4.5-6.5 lbs. |
Length | 32-34″ |
Wingspan | 5.5-61 |
Sexual Maturity | 5-6 years |
Breeding Season | Year-round |
Number t of Eggs | 1 |
Incubation Period | 52-59 days |
Fledging ] Period | 93-194 days |
Breeding Interval | 1-2 years |
‘ Typical Diet | Mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, insects and crabs; carrion |
Lifespan | 30 years |
Related species
• The bateleur is placed in the subfamily Circaetinae; it contains powerful raptors with short, strong talons. The 14 species include the short-toed eagle of southern Europe, India and North Africa, and the crested serpent-eagle of India, China and Southeast Asia. They are part of the family Accipitridae, which also includes kites, harriers and Old World vultures.