Black-chested Snake-eagle
Encyclopedia
The Black-chested Snake Eagle (Circaetus pectoralis) is a large Africa
n bird of prey of the Accipitridae family. It resembles other snake-eagles
and was once believed to be conspecific with the Short-toed Snake Eagle and Beaudouin's Snake Eagle.
The main identification character of this bird is its dark brown head and chest, to which it owes its name. In flight the dark head contrasts with the underparts and underwings, which are white apart from dark barring on the flight feathers and tail. The upperparts are dark brown, and the eye is yellow.
The female is similar to, but larger than the male, and the juvenile is rufous.
The call is a whistled kwo kwo kwo kweeoo.
This species can be found throughout southern Africa from Ethiopia
and Sudan
in the north to South Africa
in the south and Angola
in the southwest.
It inhabits different habitats, providing it can find open terrain to hunt on, trees to perch and nest in, and sufficient food supply. This includes semi-arid or even desert areas.
As its name indicates, this bird feeds mostly on snakes, but will also prey on lizards, small mammals and frogs.
The female will lay only one egg per clutch, which is incubated for 50 days. The chick leaves the nest after 3 months.
Due to its wide distribution this species is not endangered.
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n bird of prey of the Accipitridae family. It resembles other snake-eagles
Circaetus
Circaetus, the snake eagles, is a genus of medium-sized eagles in the bird of prey family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as buzzards and harriers....
and was once believed to be conspecific with the Short-toed Snake Eagle and Beaudouin's Snake Eagle.
The main identification character of this bird is its dark brown head and chest, to which it owes its name. In flight the dark head contrasts with the underparts and underwings, which are white apart from dark barring on the flight feathers and tail. The upperparts are dark brown, and the eye is yellow.
The female is similar to, but larger than the male, and the juvenile is rufous.
The call is a whistled kwo kwo kwo kweeoo.
This species can be found throughout southern Africa from Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
in the north to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in the south and Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
in the southwest.
It inhabits different habitats, providing it can find open terrain to hunt on, trees to perch and nest in, and sufficient food supply. This includes semi-arid or even desert areas.
As its name indicates, this bird feeds mostly on snakes, but will also prey on lizards, small mammals and frogs.
The female will lay only one egg per clutch, which is incubated for 50 days. The chick leaves the nest after 3 months.
Due to its wide distribution this species is not endangered.