Crowned Eagle

The Crowned Eagle, also known as the African Crowned Eagle, is a massively built forest raptor renowned for its strength relative to its size, often ranked among the most powerful eagles in the world for its body size. Adults have dark blackish-gray upperparts and a rich rufous breast heavily barred and spotted with black.

A prominent double crest of black feathers can be raised on the back of the head, giving the species its name. The eyes are pale yellow to whitish, adding to its intense expression, and the legs are thick, powerful, and feathered.

Key field marks

• Prominent black double crest, raised when alert
• Rufous breast heavily barred and spotted black
• Dark blackish-gray upperparts
• Short, broad, rounded wings and a long tail suited to forest flight
• Pale yellow to whitish eyes

Similar species

The Long-crested Eagle is much smaller and shows an obvious long, thin, wispy crest rather than a short bushy one, and typically occupies more open habitat. The Martial Eagle is larger, found in open savanna rather than forest, and has spotted rather than barred underparts.

Range

The Crowned Eagle is found across sub-Saharan Africa, primarily in equatorial and tropical regions from West Africa through the Congo Basin to East and southern Africa.

Habitat

It is strongly associated with dense tropical forest, but also occurs in forest-savanna mosaics and wooded ravines within otherwise open country, wherever adequate tree cover and prey are available.

Migration

The species is sedentary and highly territorial, with pairs defending the same permanent territory for many years, sometimes decades.

Hunting and feeding

Crowned Eagles are ambush hunters, watching from a concealed perch before launching powerful surprise attacks on monkeys, their primary prey, including species such as vervets and colobus monkeys. They also take other mammals and, less often, birds. Their grip strength allows them to kill prey substantially larger than themselves.

Voice

They give loud, ringing, far-carrying calls, especially during undulating sky-dance display flights performed by both members of a pair.

Nesting and breeding

Pairs build a huge stick nest that may be reused and enlarged over decades. A single chick is typically raised, with an unusually long dependency period of roughly nine to eleven months, so pairs usually breed only once every two years.