- Life expectancy
- Global status
Identification
An erectile crest and powerful talons characterise this forest eagle. Its short, broad wings and long tail allow tight turns between trees. Young Crowned Eagles are much paler than adults.
Colours
Adult
Dark head with an erectile crest, dark upperparts and boldly marked cream to reddish underparts. The long tail is clearly barred.
Behaviour
Crowned Eagles also occur in some South African cities, provided suitable woodland remains. A long-term study in KwaZulu-Natal shows how flexibly the species can respond to such altered landscapes.
Breeding & rearing
Many pairs breed only every second year. In more strongly urbanised territories, annual breeding attempts were observed more often, but also more failures. More frequent breeding therefore does not automatically mean more fledged young.
