Eagles, symbols of strength and courage, belong to the Accipteridae family. While Nigerians are diverse in tribes, eagles also come in various species. Among the over 60 species, four are prominent in Nigeria.
African Fish Eagle (Icthyophaga vocifer)
The African Fish Eagle, or African sea eagle, is a large species found throughout sub-Saharan Africa where there are large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply. It is the national bird of Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. As a result of its large range, it is known in many languages. The African fish eagle is a species placed in the genus Icthyophaga (fish eagles). Its closest relative appears to be the critically endangered Madagascar fish eagle (I. vociferoides).
This species is still quite common near freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and rivers, although it can sometimes be found near the coast at the mouths of rivers or lagoons. The African fish eagle is thought to occur in substantial numbers around the locations of Lake Victoria and other large lakes in Central Africa, particularly the Rift Valley lakes. This is a generalist species, requiring only open water with sufficient prey and a good perch. African fish eagles also frequent stocked dams and alkaline lakes. They have been observed at elevations up to 4000 m.
The adult is very distinctive in appearance with a mostly brown body with a white head like the bald eagle and large, powerful, black wings. The head, breast, and tail of African fish eagles are snow white, except for the featherless face, which is yellow. The plumage of the juvenile is brown, and the eyes are paler than the adult's. The eyes are dark, and the feet are yellow. The hook-shaped beak, ideal for a carnivorous lifestyle, is yellow with a black tip. The female, at 3.2-3.6 kg (7.1-7.9 lb) is larger than the male, at 2.0-2.5 kg (4.4-5.5 lb). Males usually have wingspans around 2.0 m (6.6 ft), while females have wingspans of 2.4 m (7.9 ft). The body length is 63-75 cm (25-29.5 in).
African fish eagles breed during the dry season, when water levels are low. They are believed to mate for life. Pairs often maintain two or more nests, which they frequently reuse. Nests are commonly built in acacias, smooth-barked trees, or euphorbias. Because nests are reused and built upon over the years, they can grow quite large, some reaching 2.0 m (6.5 ft) across and 1.2 m (3.9 ft) deep. The depth of nests are commonly at a depth of 30-60 cm (but can be as big as 200 cm in diameter and 150 cm deep). The female lays one to three eggs, which are primarily white with a few reddish speckles. Incubation lasts for 42 to 45 days before the chicks hatch. Chicks fledge around 70 to 75 days old. Siblicide does not normally occur in this taxon, and the parents often successfully rear two or three chicks.
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African fish eagles’ primary food source, as the name implies, is fish. The African fish eagle feeds mainly on fish, which it swoops down upon from a perch in a tree, snatching the prey from the water with its large, clawed talons. The eagle then flies back to its perch to eat its catch. African fish eagles are diurnal. Like other sea eagles, the African fish eagle has structures on its toes called spiricules that allow it to grasp fish and other slippery prey. The osprey, a winter visitor to Africa, also has this adaptation. African fish eagles usually catch fish around 200 to 1,000 g (0.44 to 2.20 lb), but fish up to 4,200 g (9.3 lb) can be taken. It also feeds on birds, especially waterbirds such as ducks, coots, cormorants, grebes, darters, hatchlings of herons and egrets, storks, ibises, spoonbills, cormorants, whiskered terns, and ducks, and both adult and hatchling greater and lesser flamingos. Other prey include doves, small turtles and terrapins, baby crocodiles, Nile monitors, skinks, frogs (bullfrogs), insects (especially termites), and carrion. Occasionally, it may even take mammalian prey, such as hyrax, monkeys, rats, hares, and dik-diks. It has also been observed feeding on domestic fowl (chickens). The African fish eagle is known to steal the catch of other bird species, a practice known as kleptoparasitism.
The estimated current population size is 300,000. However, vegetation changes can alter the fishing practices of the eagle.
Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus)
Martial Eagle Killing Sacred Ibis
The martial eagle is a large eagle native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is the only member of the genus Polemaetus. A species of the booted eagle subfamily (Aquilinae), it has feathers over its tarsus. One of the largest and most powerful species of booted eagle, it is a fairly opportunistic predator that varies its prey selection between mammals, birds and reptiles. It is one of few eagle species known to hunt primarily from a high soar, by stooping on its quarry.
This large eagle is also native to Nigeria and is specifically built to live in the wooded belts of open savanna. It is one of the most persecuted bird species in the world, no thank to it’s aggressive and encroaching nature. Local farmers and game wardens frequently seek to eliminate the opportunistic martial eagle.
The martial eagle can be found in most of sub-Saharan Africa, wherever food is abundant and the environment favourable. With a total estimated distribution of about 26,000 km2 (10,000 sq mi), it has a substantial distribution across Africa, giving it a somewhat broader range than other species there like the crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus) and the Verreaux's eagle (Aquila verreauxii). Although never common, greater population densities do exist in southern Africa and in some parts of east Africa.
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The martial eagle is a very large eagle. In total length, it can range from 78 to 96 cm (31 to 38 in), with an average of approximately 85.5 cm (33.7 in). The wingspan of martial eagles can range from 188 to 240 cm (6 ft 2 in to 7 ft 10 in). Average wingspans have been claimed of 205 cm (6 ft 9 in) and 207.5 cm (6 ft 10 in) for the species, however ten measured martial eagles in the wild were found to average 211.9 cm (6 ft 11 in) in wingspan. Males reportedly can weigh from 2.2 to 3.8 kg (4.9 to 8.4 lb), while females can weigh from 4.45 to 6.5 kg (9.8 to 14.3 lb).
The adult's plumage consists of dark brown coloration on the upperparts, head and upper chest, with an occasional slightly lighter edging to these feathers. The body underparts are feathered white with sparse but conspicuous blackish-brown spotting. The eyes of mature martial eagles are rich yellow, while the cere and large feet pale greenish and the talons black. In flight, martial eagles bear long broad wings with relatively narrow rounded tips that can appear pointed at times depending on how the eagle is holding its wings. Juvenile martial eagles are conspicuously distinct in plumage with a pearly gray colour above with considerable white edging, as well as a speckled grey effect on crown and hind neck. The entire underside is conspicuously white.
Martial eagles have been noted as remarkable for their extremely keen eyesight (3.0-3.6 times human acuity), partly due to their eye being nearly as large as a human's eye. Due to this power, they can spot potential prey from a great distance, having been known to be able to spot prey from as far as 5 to 6 km (3.1 to 3.7 mi) away. The talons of martial eagles are impressive and can approach the size, especially in mature females, of those of the crowned eagle despite their slenderer metatarsus and toes compared to the crowned species.
The recorded contact call between pair-members consists of the birds, usually when perched, letting out a low mellow whistle, ko-wee-oh. During territorial aerial display and sometimes when perched, adults may utter a loud, trilling klee-klee-klooeee-klooeee-kulee.
The martial eagle is to some degree adaptable to varied habitats but shows an overall preference for open woods and woodland edges, wooded savannah and thornbush habitats. These eagles also avoid closed-canopy forests and hyper-arid desert. For example, in a bird atlas for the country of Kenya, perhaps surprisingly, 88% of martial eagles were found to reside in well-wooded areas. The Martial Eagle is found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa. This majestic eagle normally inhabits open grasslands that are scattered with large trees. It can also be found in scrubby, more arid areas, as well as wooded savannas, or riparian forests. If you are ever in Martial Eagle habitat, spend some time scanning the tops of tall trees, where this eagle likes to perch. Another place to look for these birds is on top of power pylons!
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It uses its strong feet and sharp talons to catch medium-sized mammals, birds, and reptiles. Some animals on the Martial Eagle's menu include guineafowl, francolins, bustard, flamingo, hornbills, ostrich chicks, monitor lizards, monkeys, mongoose, dikdiks, hares, hyraxes, and steenboks. This powerful hunter employs a diverse array of hunting tactics to catch its prey. One of the most-used techniques is to hunt by soaring.
Large eagles tend to build large nests and the Martial Eagle is no exception. Their nest can measure between 1·2-1·5 meters across, and 60 cm deep! They build their nest with large sticks and they often line it with green leaves. Nests are built in the fork of a large tree. When it is time to breed, the female and the male will engage in simple courtship displays - such as circling together in the sky or vocalizing to each other from a perch. After the female lays the egg, it must be incubated for around 50 days.
Crowned Eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus)
The crowned eagle is the only extant member of the genus Stephanoaetus. Crowned eagles are not the largest eagles in Africa-martial eagles claim that title-but they are the most powerful. Crowned eagles live in the tall woodland forests and rain forests of Africa. They are often seen on Africa's savannas as well. Built for flying among trees, the crowned eagle's wings are short and broad, and its long tail helps guide the bird like a rudder guides a boat.
Adult crowned eagles have a dark brown head with long crest feathers tipped in white, a cream or reddish breast with black bars, and wings that are black on the top and reddish underneath. They call out often in a very loud voice. The male’s call, “kewee-kewee-kewee,” is higher pitched. As the most powerful eagle in Africa, the crowned eagle is able to kill animals weighing up to 44 pounds (20 kilograms). The eagle's long hind talon helps break the prey’s spine.
A favorite method of hunting is to sit in a tree overlooking a waterhole or clearing and then simply drop down onto the prey. When hunting monkeys, a crowned eagle flies over the forest canopy until a troop of monkeys can be heard. A crowned eagle pair may hunt together: the male flies high and calls out to get the attention of monkeys in the trees below; the female then skims the treetops and grabs a confused monkey. They prefer to carry their kill into a tree to eat in safety, but they can't carry anything heavier than themselves. If the kill is too heavy, it will be torn apart on the ground and the pieces stored and eaten over several days or brought back in pieces to the nest.
Like many eagles, the crowned eagle male performs a beautiful courtship flight to impress a female. He flies very high into the air and makes a series of swooping dives and climbs, like a roller coaster. At the top of each loop, he flaps his wings quickly several times, throws his head back, and calls loudly for up to 30 seconds. At the nest, the male displays for the female by running around her with his wings raised.
The pair uses the same nest for many years until a new pair inherits it. The nest is made of sticks and lined with fresh, green branches. The eagles add new material to the nest each year, and over time the nest can grow up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) across and 10 feet (3 meters) deep. The female crowned eagle lays one or two eggs, which are white and speckled with reddish brown. She incubates the eggs for most of the next 49 to 51 days while her mate brings her food every 3 to 5 days. Sometimes the pair swaps roles. The chick hatches, covered in down, and develops its first feathers at about 40 days.
The father brings fresh branches and food to the nest for the first two months, and both parents are very good at protecting their baby. If anything approaches the nest, the parent attacks it fiercely. The chick's crest feathers (or crown) appear at about 2 months of age, and it has all of its feathers 76 days after hatching. The young crowned eagle starts wing-flapping exercises to strengthen its flight muscles at 40 to 50 days old and is ready to take its first flight by the time it is 4 months old. Because the youngster is dependent on its parents for so long, the mated pair must wait another year before breeding again. A juvenile crowned eagle looks very different from an adult. It has light gray-brown feathers on its back, and its wings are edged in white, making the bird look like it has scales. Its head, breast, and belly are white, and its wing and tail feathers have gray bars.
Crowned eagles are fairly common throughout their range, since they prefer thick forests where people don't usually live. If they venture out in open lands where livestock is normally found, they are sometimes shot by ranchers who fear the eagles might prey on their livestock.
Bateleur Eagle (Terathopius ecaudatus)
A novice bird watcher may not immediately classify this bird among the eagle family. The bateleur eagle (Terathopius ecaudatus) is a medium-sized eagle in the family Accipitridae. The French word Bateleur means “street eagle,” and they are among the most majestic creatures in the African sky. With its ruffly, cowled hood and dramatic plumage coloration, the bateleur looks like something that emerged from the fantasy genre.
Adult bateleurs are generally black in colour with a chestnut colour on the mantle as well as also on the rump and tail. Adults also have gray patches about the leading edges of the wings (extending to the secondaries in females) with bright red on their cere and their feet. Adults also show white greater coverts, contrasting with black remiges in males, gray patches on the underwing primaries and black wingtips. The juvenile bateleur is quite different, being largely drab brown with a bit of paler feather scaling.
With its ruffly, cowled hood and dramatic plumage coloration, the bateleur looks like something that emerged from the fantasy genre. Its red cere, red facial skin, and scaly red feet are conspicuous. It has piercing, dark eyes and a small, hooked bill. Its bow-shaped wings are exceptionally long, and it has a very short tail. Juvenile bateleurs are distinctively different from the adults, with brown plumage and long tails. They can take up to eight years to mature and fully develop their adult plumage. This species is found in savannah-woodland habitats, as well as thornveld and shrublands, often seen gliding over the bushveld.
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