Verreaux's Eagle

Aquila verreauxii
Wingspan

180–230cm

Body length

75–95cm

Weight

3,000–4,200g

Profile

Life expectancy
Clutch size
Usually 2 eggs
Global status
Activity
Migration

Identification

Black adult with a white V on the back, white rump and pale wing windows. The wings are strikingly narrow at the base; juveniles are mainly brown.

Colours

Plumage
Eyes
Legs & feet

Adult

Black plumage, a white V on the back and a white rump. In flight, pale patches on the primaries and the wings narrowing towards the base stand out.

Behaviour

Pairs use the updrafts of steep slopes. Established adults stay faithful to their cliff territory, while young birds disperse.

Breeding & rearing

A large stick nest is usually built on a rock ledge. Often only the older chick survives. The nestling period lasts roughly three months.

Diet

Prey examples

Hyraxes

Mainly hyraxes, which live among the rocks of its hunting grounds. Depending on the area, hares, gamebirds and occasionally carrion supplement the diet.

Occasional

Hares
Guineafowl

Hunting

Verreaux's Eagle: Search flight · Ambush hunting · Cooperative hunting · Scavenging
Search flightAmbush huntingCooperative huntingScavenging

Riding the slope updraught, it glides close along the rocks and surprises hyraxes in front of their hiding places. Hunting partners can complement each other, with one holding the prey's attention.

Distribution

Range

Africa & south-western Arabian Peninsula

Habitat

Rock massifs, gorges and steep mountain slopes with hyrax colonies; adjacent scrub and grassland are also used for hunting.

Rock faces and ledges above open scrubland
Rocky landscapes
Open mountain slopes with rocks and alpine meadows
Mountains
Verreaux's Eagle