Overview
Silent, powerful and unmistakably imposing, the Martial eagle is one of Africa’s largest and most formidable birds of prey. With broad wings, a deep chest and an intense golden-eyed stare, it dominates the open skies above Tanzania’s savannahs and woodlands.
Martial eagles hunt a remarkably varied range of prey, from guineafowl, francolins and large reptiles to hares, monkeys and young antelope. They often soar at great height while scanning the ground before folding their wings and descending rapidly towards an unsuspecting animal.
Despite their size and strength, Martial eagles are increasingly difficult to find. They require enormous territories and reproduce slowly, making them particularly vulnerable to habitat loss, declining prey populations, poisoning, collisions with power lines and persecution by people who mistakenly believe they pose a serious threat to livestock.
Behaviour & How to Identify
Look for a very large eagle with dark brown upperparts, a pale spotted or barred underside and long, broad wings. Adults have a dark head and chest, while the white belly is marked with dark spots. Juveniles are much paler below and may take several years to develop full adult plumage.
Females are noticeably larger and heavier than males, although both sexes share the same general colouring. In flight, the wings appear long and relatively narrow for such a powerful eagle, while the tail is short and rounded.
Martial eagles spend long periods soaring high above open country, sometimes becoming little more than a speck in the sky. From this height, they search for prey before launching a steep, fast descent. They may also hunt from prominent perches.
Interesting facts
They can take surprisingly large prey. Martial eagles are capable of killing young antelope, monkeys, large birds and reptiles, although most prey is smaller than the eagle itself.
Females are much heavier than males. This difference allows the sexes to target somewhat different prey and may reduce competition within a pair.
They can detect prey from far above the ground. Their exceptional eyesight allows them to survey vast stretches of open country while soaring, though exact claims of several kilometres are difficult to verify consistently.