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Crowned eagle

This article is about the African eagle known as the crowned eagle. For the South American crowned eagle, see Chaco eagle.

Crowned eagle
Crowned eagle with prey
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Stephanoaetus
Species:
S. coronatus
Binomial name
Stephanoaetus coronatus
Crowned eagle range
Synonyms

Falco coronatus Linnaeus, 1766

The crowned eagle, also known as the African crowned eagle or the crowned hawk-eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus), is a large bird of prey found in sub-Saharan Africa; in Southern Africa, it is restricted to more easterly areas.[2] Its preferred habitats are principally riparian woodlands and various forests.[2] The crowned eagle is the only extant member of the genus Stephanoaetus. A second species, the Malagasy crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus mahery), went extinct after early humans settled on Madagascar.[3]

At least 90 percent of the eagle’s diet consists of mammals;[4][5] the preferred prey taken by various populations showing pronounced regional differences. Throughout its range, the principal prey animals are small ungulates, such as dik-dik, duikers, chevrotains, suni and Royal antelope. Additionally, they will target young gazelles. Other prey may include meerkats, mongooses, mustelids, rats (and other rodents) and rock hyraxes, as well as primates, such as young or smaller baboons, bushbabies, colobus, mangabeys or vervet monkeys.[6] Birds and large lizards are barely taken.[6]

Although the crowned eagle's long tail imparts an overall length of up to 90 cm (35 in), it is lighter by weight, and has a considerably shorter wingspan, than Africa's largest eagle, the martial eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus). It is, nevertheless, considered Africa's most powerful eagle with respect to its prey’s body size.[6] It has been known to prey on ungulates as large as bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus), which can weigh up to 30 kg (66 lb), albeit usually much less.[6][7] The crowned eagle possesses unusually large talons and strong legs, and may kill by simply crushing prey’s skull. The eagle is also bold and ferocious; records documented from beneath a nest show the remains of a large male sooty mangabey weighing 11 kg (24 lb).[8]

Due to their ecological and behavioral similarities, the crowned eagle is considered to be the African counterpart of the Central and South American harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja). Thanks to its bold and highly conspicuous behavior, it is exceptionally well-studied for a large, forest-dwelling eagle. Due to a relatively high level of habitat adaptability, it was until recently considered to be faring well by the standards of large, forest-dependent raptors.[9] However, today it is generally thought that it is decreasing far more than was previously perceived due to the almost epidemic destruction of native tropical African forest.[1] It is now listed by the IUCN as Near Threatened.

  1. ^ a b BirdLife International (2018). "Stephanoaetus coronatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22696201A129914678. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22696201A129914678.en.
  2. ^ a b Sinclair & Ryan (2003). Birds of Africa south of the Sahara. ISBN 1-86872-857-9
  3. ^ Goodman, Steven M. (1994). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 107(3): 421–428 ISSN 0006-324X Description of a new species of subfossil eagle from Madagascar: Stephanoaetus (Aves: Falconiformes) From The Deposits Of Ampasambazimba. Pdf
  4. ^ Mitani, J.C.; Sanders, W.J.; Lwanga, J.S. & Windfelder, T.L. (2001). "Predatory behavior of crowned hawk-eagles (Stephanoaetus coronatus) in Kibale National Park, Uganda" (PDF). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 49 (2–3): 187–195. doi:10.1007/s002650000283. hdl:2027.42/42089. S2CID 19062636.
  5. ^ African Crowned Eagle Archived 29 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Sfzoo.org. Retrieved on 2012-08-22.
  6. ^ a b c d Kemp, A. C. (1994). Crowned Hawk-eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus). Pp. 205 in: del Hoyo, Elliott & Sargatal. eds. (1994). Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 2. ISBN 84-87334-15-6
  7. ^ Ferguson-Lees & Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. ISBN 0-7136-8026-1
  8. ^ McGraw, W. S.; Cooke, C. & Shultz, S. (2006). "Primate remains from African crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus) nests in Ivory Coast's Tai Forest: implications for primate predation and early hominid taphonomy in South Africa". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 131 (2): 151–165. doi:10.1002/ajpa.20420. PMID 16596589.
  9. ^ Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Dowsett, R.J. The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. 2006, Tauraco Press and Aves, Liège, Belgium. 556 pages

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