Beaudouin's snake eagle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beaudouin's snake eagle |
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| Perched adult bird near Kampanti, Gambia. | |
| Conservation status | |
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The Beaudouin's snake eagle (Circaetus beaudouini) is a type of snake eagle. It lives in the Sahel region of West Africa. This bird is part of the Accipitridae family, which includes many birds of prey.
Scientists think this eagle is related to the short-toed snake eagle and the black-chested snake eagle. Sadly, the number of Beaudouin's snake eagles is going down. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says it is a "vulnerable species". This means it is at risk of becoming endangered.
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What Does It Look Like?
This large snake eagle has a wingspan of about 170 cm (67 inches). Its upper body, head, and chest are grey-brown. This color stands out against its white belly, which has brown stripes. The underside of its tail is also white.
The Beaudouin's snake eagle has a black beak. It has big, bright yellow eyes. Its legs are long, pale grey, and do not have feathers. Young eagles look different; they are completely dark in color.
How Does It Behave?
This eagle is a "sit-and-wait" hunter. This means it usually sits on a high spot, like a telephone pole or a dead tree. It waits there for its prey instead of flying around to hunt. We don't know much about its daily habits.
Its main food is snakes. It also eats other small animals with backbones. The Beaudouin's snake eagle builds its nest from sticks. It places the nest high up in a tree, sometimes as high as 25 meters (82 feet).
In West Africa, these eagles lay their eggs from November to March. They usually lay only one egg. The egg probably takes about 45 days to hatch. After hatching, the young bird might take another 70 days to be ready to fly.
Where Does It Live?
You can find the Beaudouin's snake eagle in open woodlands. It also lives in savannas with trees and in areas where people grow crops.
Where Can You Find It?
This eagle lives in a narrow strip across Africa. This strip goes from Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and Gambia. It continues through southern Mali and Burkina Faso. You can also find it in Niger, northern Nigeria, and Cameroon. It lives in southern Chad, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan.
Sometimes, these eagles move around. They seem to travel south when it's dry. Then, they move north when the rainy season begins.
Why Is It Vulnerable?
The Beaudouin's snake eagle is not common anywhere. Scientists think there are only between 3,500 and 15,000 of these birds left. Not many studies have been done on them.
The biggest threats to this bird come from the growing number of people in the Sahel region. More people mean more trees are cut down. More land is used for farming, which often means more pesticides are used. There is also more overgrazing by animals. Cities are growing, and more eagles are being hunted.
All these things are causing the number of birds of prey to drop. The Beaudouin's snake eagle population is decreasing. That is why the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed it as a "Vulnerable" species.
