Martial eagle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martial eagle
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Class:	Aves
Order:	Accipitriformes
Family:	Accipitridae
Genus:	Polemaetus
Binomial name
Polemaetus bellicosus
Where the Martial Eagle lives

The martial eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) is a huge bird of prey. It lives in Africa and is the biggest eagle on the continent! These powerful birds can be 76 to 96 cm (30–38 inches) long. Their wingspan can reach an amazing 188–260 cm (6.2–8.5 feet).

Because they are so big, martial eagles can hunt and eat small antelopes like duikers. However, they are too heavy to carry such large prey back to their nests in the trees.

Adult martial eagles have dark brown feathers on their upper body, head, and upper chest. Their belly is white with black streaks. The feathers under their wings are brown, and their flight feathers are pale with black streaks. Female eagles are usually larger and have more streaks than males. Young eagles are paler and have white underparts. They get their adult feathers when they are about seven years old.

Where Martial Eagles Live

The martial eagle can be found across Sub-Saharan Africa. They live in places where there is plenty of food and a good environment for them. They are not very common, but you can find more of them in southern Africa, especially in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

These eagles are often seen in protected areas. Some examples include Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa. You can also find them in Etosha National Park in Namibia.

Martial eagles prefer to live in semi-deserts and open savannahs. They avoid thick forests but need trees to build their nests. The size of their hunting area can change a lot. It can be over 1000 square kilometers (386 square miles) or much smaller. This depends on how much food is available in the area.

Immature bird.

What Martial Eagles Eat

The diet of the martial eagle changes depending on what prey is available. They can catch birds as big as a stork. However, they usually hunt medium-sized birds that live on the ground. These include francolins, guinea fowl, or bustards.

In some areas, mammals make up most of their diet. They hunt animals like hares, young baboons, hyraxes, mongooses, young impalas, and adult duikers. These powerful birds have even been seen hunting duikers that weigh up to 32 kg (82 lbs)! If the prey is too big, they will eat some and then come back later for more. They might also attack farm animals like poultry, lambs, and young goats. But this is only a small part of their diet.

Martial eagles usually hunt while flying. They circle high above their territory. Then, they swoop down quickly to surprise and catch their prey.

Young bird in Masai Mara, Kenya

Nesting and Life Cycle

Martial eagles do not have a special flight display to attract mates. But they make a loud call during mating season. It sounds like `klee-klee-klee-kloeee-kloeee-kuleee'. They build their nests in tall trees. In some parts of South Africa, they even build nests on electric power pylons.

Their nests are very large. They use the same nest year after year. A nest can be 2 meters (6.6 feet) wide and 0.9 meters (3 feet) deep. They have a slow breeding rate. A female eagle lays only one egg every two years. The egg is kept warm for 45 days. The chick then leaves the nest after about 100 days. Even after leaving the nest, young eagles stay near their parents for another six months. They slowly learn to hunt and become independent.

Protecting Martial Eagles

Martial eagles face several dangers. People sometimes shoot or poison them. They also get hurt by flying into power lines. Another danger is drowning in farm reservoirs with steep sides.

In South Africa, the number of martial eagles has dropped by about 20% in the last three generations. In many places where they live near people, their populations have decreased a lot. This is because farmers blame them for killing their farm animals. However, farm animals are only a small part of their diet. When eagles are present, it usually means the environment is healthy. To protect these amazing birds, farmers need to be educated. Also, their nesting sites need to be directly protected.

Images for kids

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  The martial eagle is one of the most highly aerial members of its subfamily.

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  Close-up of the head

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  A typically pale immature martial eagle in Kruger National Park.

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  A perched adult martial eagle.

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  Even immature martial eagles have formidable talons and feet.

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  Martial eagles tend to be attracted to thorny or tall trees in otherwise fairly open savanna.

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  Adult martial eagle with prey.

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  An adult martial eagle clutching live prey, a small bustard

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  Cape hare are the main prey for martial eagles in the Cape Province of South Africa.

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  Kirk's dik-dik are one of the two main prey species for martial eagles in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya.

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  Helmeted guineafowl are among the most favored prey species for martial eagles, known to be taken in considerable numbers everywhere from West Africa to South Africa.

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  Martial eagle eating a kill.

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  Large monitors, such as this prey, a rock monitor, can be important prey for adult female martial eagles.

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  Adult in Masai Mara, Kenya.

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  Soaring with an African harrier-hawk (Polyboroides typus)

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  A Martial eagle on its nest in Tanzania.

• Martial eagle (Poleemaetus bellicosus) juvenile (13816501623).jpg

  Juveniles such as this one from Kruger National Park do not attain maturity until they are least six years of age.

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  Large specimen, probably female, showing slight crest and protruding crop, southern Kruger National Park, South Africa

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  1838 illustration of a martial eagle by Sir Andrew Smith

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  Adult taking off from perch

See also

In Spanish: Águila marcial para niños