Black-chested snake eagle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black-chested snake eagle |
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| With a snake Awash National Park, Ethiopia |
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| Conservation status | |
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Circaetus
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| Species: |
pectoralis
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The black-chested snake eagle (Circaetus pectoralis) is a large bird of prey that lives in Africa. It's part of the Accipitridae family, which includes eagles, hawks, and kites. This eagle is famous for hunting snakes, which is how it got its name! It looks similar to other snake eagles. For a long time, people thought it was the same species as the short-toed snake eagle and Beaudouin's snake eagle. However, scientists now know it's its own unique species.
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What's in a Name?
Scientists used to debate if the black-chested snake eagle was a separate species or just a type of short-toed snake eagle. They looked at things like their feathers and where they lived. Some thought they might even mix and have babies together.
However, newer studies looking at their DNA showed that the black-chested snake eagle is indeed a different species. It's actually more closely related to the brown snake eagle than to the short-toed snake eagle. Even so, it's still considered part of a "superspecies" group with the short-toed and Beaudouin's snake eagles. This means they are very closely related.
How to Spot One
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The easiest way to identify this bird is its dark brown or black head and chest. This dark coloring gives it its name! Its lower belly and the underside of its wings are bright white. You can see three thin black bars on the underside of its wings when it flies.
It's different from the short-toed snake eagle, which has dark spots on its belly. The Beaudouin's snake eagle has thin bars on its lower belly. Male and female black-chested snake eagles look alike, but the female is usually bigger.
Sometimes, people confuse it with the martial eagle. But the black-chested snake eagle is smaller. It also has a plain chest and white underwings, unlike the martial eagle. Its eyes are a bright yellow-orange. Its beak is horn-colored, and its legs are pale grey and not feathered.
When it calls, it makes a whistling sound that sounds like kwo kwo kwo kweeoo.
Where They Live
These eagles live all over southern and East Africa. You can find them from Ethiopia and Sudan in the north, all the way down to South Africa. They also live as far west as the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo and southeastern Gabon.
Many of these eagles stay in one place all year. But some populations move around. For example, in Zimbabwe, more birds arrive during the dry winter months. They are sometimes seen in places like Sudan and Ethiopia as visitors, not always breeding there.
Their Home
Black-chested snake eagles live in many different places. They like open woodlands with acacia and miombo trees. You can also find them in grasslands, thorny savannas, and even dry, desert-like areas. They usually avoid mountains and thick forests.
You'll often see them alone. However, sometimes up to 200 birds will gather together to roost (rest) when they are not breeding. They also use places changed by humans, like farmlands and electricity poles. They can even share poles with brown snake eagles without any problems!
What They Eat
As their name suggests, these eagles mostly eat snakes! They can catch venomous snakes up to 80 centimeters (about 31 inches) long. But they also hunt other animals. Their diet includes lizards, insects, small mammals, and frogs.
They hunt in a few ways. They might sit on a perch and watch for prey. They can also hover in the air or search the ground. Once they spot something, they slowly float down to catch it. In places like the Serengeti National Park, their numbers go up when there are lots of small mammals to eat.
Family Life
Black-chested snake eagles build their nests in trees. They often choose flat-topped acacia trees. They like to hide their nests in mistletoe or other plants growing on the tree. The nest itself is a small structure made of sticks.
The female eagle lays only one white egg at a time. She sits on the egg for about 52 days to keep it warm. During this time, the male eagle brings her food. After the chick hatches, it stays in the nest for about 3 months (90 days).
They can breed all year round. However, breeding is most common during the dry winter months in South Africa. For example, in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, eggs are often laid in June or July.
Staying Safe
The IUCN and BirdLife International list the black-chested snake eagle as a species of "Least Concern". This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing.
Even though they are widespread, their numbers can change. In some years, they might be very common in an area, and in other years, they might be scarce. This could be because some birds move around, or because the amount of food available changes.
These eagles can face dangers from humans. They sometimes drown in water reservoirs with steep sides. They can also be shot, or get hurt by hitting power lines. However, these types of deaths seem to be rare for this species. Many black-chested snake eagles live for many years in the wild.
