Terathopius ecaudatus (Daudin 1800)

Die berghaan (Terathopius ecaudatus) is 'n medium-grootte arend in die voëlfamilie Accipitridae. Dit is die enigste lid van die genus Terathopius en moontlik die oorsprong van die "Zimbabwe-voël", die nasionale embleem van Zimbabwe.^[1]

Identifikasie

'n Jong, mak berghaan

Die berghaan is 'n kleurvolle spesie met 'n baie kort stert (ecaudatus is Latyn vir stertloos) wat die voël onmiskenbaar maak tydens vlug. Die volwasse mannetjie is 60 tot 75 cm lank met 'n 175 cm vlerkspan. Hy het swart vere behalwe vir sy bruin mantel en stert, grys skouers en rooi gesigsvel, bek en bene.

Die wyfie is soortgelyk aan die mannetjie, maar waar die mannetjie swart vere het, is die wyfie s'n grys. Jong voëls is bruin met wit spikkels en het 'n groen-grys gesigsvel. Dit neem sewe tot agt jaar vir 'n berghaan om volwassenheid te bereik.

Habitat

Die berghaan is 'n algemene bewoner van die savanne-grasvelde in sub-Sahara Afrika. Die voël bou sy nes in hoë bome.

Voortplanting

Die wyfie lê 'n enkele eier wat sy dan bebroei vir 42 tot 43 dae. Dit neem 'n verdere 90 tot 125 dae voor die kuiken gereed is om te vlieg. Berghane bly lewenslank by hul maats en hou aan om dieselfde nes vir 'n aantal jare te gebruik. Voëls sonder maats (vermoedelik van 'n eerste broeisel) sal somtyds by die nes help.

Voeding

Die berghaan se prooi is meestal ander voëls, soos duiwe, of klein soogdiere. Berghane vreet ook aas.

Geluid

Berghane is oor die algemeen stil voëls, maar nou en dan sal 'n voël 'n verskeidenheid blaffe en krete gee.

• 
• 
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• 'n Jong berghaan

Ander name

• Engelse naam: Bateleur
• Wetenskaplike naam: Terathopius ecaudatus

Sien ook

Wikispecies het meer inligting oor: Terathopius ecaudatus

• Alfabetiese lys van Suid-Afrikaanse voëls
• Lys van Suid-Afrikaanse voëls (Groepeer)
• Lys van Suider-Afrikaanse voëls volgens wetenskaplike name

Verwysings

Bronnelys

• Barlow, Wacher en Disley. Birds of The Gambia. ISBN 1-873403-32-1.
• BirdLife International (2009). "Terathopius ecaudatus". IUCN Rooilys van Bedreigde Spesies. Weergawe 2010.1. Internasionale Unie vir die Bewaring van die Natuur. Besoek op 1 April 2010.
• Ferguson-Lees, Christie, Franklin, Mead, and Burton. Raptors of the World. London: Christopher Helm, 1999. ISBN 0713680261.

El águila volatinera^[1] (Terathopius ecaudatus) ye una especie d'ave accipitriforme de la familia Accipitridae, la única del xéneru Terathopius. Ta llargamente distribuyida pol África subsaḥariana. Nun se reconocen subespecies.^[2]

La águila volatinera recibe'l so nome por cuenta de les sos escepcionales capacidaes de vuelu y de maniobrar nel aire, superiores a les normales ente los rapazos que vuelen a cielu abiertu. Sicasí nun ye un superpredador, centrando la so atención en preses más pequeñes.

Tien un aspeutu inconfundible, d'aspeutu romu y masivu, pero con un plumaxe escuru y la so cabeza y garres afataes con tonos coloraos vivos en pates y cara, ente que'l cuerpu ye d'un fondu color cayuela de tonu azuláu; l'aviesu de les nales ye de color gris plateado, similar al de les gaviluetes. Estes adaptaciones dexen a la especie nun ser estremada dende'l suelu, una y bones el color plateado de la so parte baxa confundir col fondu del cielu, ente que les partes escures protexen el so cuerpu de los rayos solares. Otra manera, el neñones son d'un fondu color castañu, lo que nel pasáu fixo creer que yeren especies distintes.^[3]

Perteneciente a la subfamilia Circaetinae, ta emparentada cola culebrera europea.

Referencies

Enllaces esternos

• Wikimedia Commons acueye conteníu multimedia sobre Terathopius ecaudatus .

Terathopius ecaudatus (lat. Terathopius ecaudatus) - terathopius cinsinə aid heyvan növü.

İstinadlar

L'àguila batallaire ^[1] o àliga saltimbanqui (Terathopius ecaudatus) és una au rapinyaire àmpliament distribuïda per l'Àfrica subsahariana d'inconfusible aspecte pel seu plomatge negre i el seu cap i urpes adornades amb tonalitats rogenques intenses. Única espècie del gènere Terathopius. Pertany a la subfamília Circaetinae i es troba emparentada amb l'àliga marcenca.

Una àguila saltimbanqui prenent el sol.

Un exemplar immadur.

Enllaços externs

• Àmplia informació sobre l'àliga saltimbanqui com a espècie amenaçada d'extinció. (anglès)

Referències

• Barlow, Wacher and Disley, Birds of The Gambia ISBN 1-873403-32-1

Aderyn a rhywogaeth o adar yw Eryr cwta (sy'n enw gwrywaidd; enw lluosog: eryrod cwta) a adnabyddir hefyd gyda'i enw gwyddonol Terathopius ecaudatus; yr enw Saesneg arno yw Bateleur. Mae'n perthyn i deulu'r Eryr (Lladin: Accipitridae) sydd yn urdd y Falconiformes.^[1]

Talfyrir yr enw Lladin yn aml yn T. ecaudatus, sef enw'r rhywogaeth.^[2] Mae'r rhywogaeth hon i'w chanfod yn Affrica.

Teulu

Mae'r eryr cwta yn perthyn i deulu'r Eryr (Lladin: Accipitridae). Dyma rai o aelodau eraill y teulu:

Rhestr Wicidata:

Gweler hefyd

• Rhestr Goch yr IUCN

Cyfeiriadau

Orlík kejklíř (Terathopius ecaudatus), občas také uváděný pod názvem orel kejklíř, je středně velký dravý pták a také jediný zástupce rodu Terathopius. Je běžný v savanách na rozsáhlém území subsaharské Afriky.

Orlík kejklíř je výrazný dravec s velmi krátkým ocasem, díky kterému je v letu zcela nezaměnitelný. Dospělí jedinci dorůstají 80–85 cm a v rozpětí křídel měří průměrně 175 cm. Je převážně černý s kaštanově hnědým hřbetem a ocasem, částečně šedým opeřením na křídlech a červenými končetinami, zobákem a kůží kolem očí. Obě pohlaví jsou si zbarvením velmi podobná, mladí ptáci jsou na rozdíl od dospělců hnědí a kůži kolem očí mají nazelenalou.

Loví zejména ptáky, požírá také malé savce a mršiny. Hnízdí na stromech, ročně přitom klade jediné vejce, na kterém sedí po dobu 42-43 dnů samotná samice. Mláďata pak hnízdo opouští po 90-125 dnech. Žije v trvalých párech a k hnízdění většinou po mnoho let využívá stejné hnízdo.

Reference

V tomto článku byl použit překlad textu z článku Bateleur na anglické Wikipedii.

1. ↑ Červený seznam IUCN 2018.1. 5. července 2018. Dostupné online. [cit. 2018-08-11]

Externí odkazy

• Obrázky, zvuky či videa k tématu orlík kejklíř ve Wikimedia Commons
• Slovníkové heslo orlík kejklíř ve Wikislovníku
• Galerie orlík kejklíř ve Wikimedia Commons
• Taxon Terathopius ecaudatus ve Wikidruzích

Der Gaukler (Terathopius ecaudatus) ist eine Greifvogelart aus der Unterfamilie der Schlangenadler (Circaetinae), die in großen Teilen Subsahara-Afrikas vorkommt und offene oder halboffene Savannenlandschaften bewohnt. Der Gaukler ernährt sich größtenteils von kleineren bis mittelgroßen Vögeln und Säugetieren, die er erjagt, aber auch von Aas. Er fällt durch seine ausgedehnten, relativ niedrigen, „gaukelnden“ Suchflüge auf, bei denen er die Flügel in einem tiefen V hält und seitlich hin- und herschaukelt. Zudem ist die akrobatische Flugbalz recht spektakulär.

Beschreibung

Der Gaukler ist ein relativ großer Greifvogel, der vom Körperbau den Altweltgeiern ähnelt, verwandtschaftlich jedoch zu den Schlangenadlern gehört. Seine Körperlänge liegt zwischen 55 und 70 cm, wobei der Schwanz extrem kurz ist, worauf auch das Epitheton des wissenschaftlichen Namens (ecaudatus = schwanzlos) hinweist. Bei adulten Vögel ragen die Füße im Flug über den Schwanz hinaus. Die Flügel, mit denen er Spannweiten von 168 bis 190 cm erreicht, sind jedoch außergewöhnlich lang und haben mit 25 Armschwingen die meisten aller Greifvögel. Die Hinterränder der Armflügel bilden einen großen Bogen, während der Handflügel relativ kurz und spitz ist. Der Kopf wirkt groß, mit langem Nackengefieder, das zu einer Kapuze aufgestellt werden kann. Das Gewicht liegt zwischen 1820 und 2950 g.

Die Geschlechter ähneln sich, lassen sich aber aufgrund der grauen Armschwingen der Weibchen relativ leicht unterscheiden. Weibchen sind zudem durchschnittlich 6 % größer als Männchen. Das Jugendkleid ist überwiegend braun. Subadulte Vögel wechseln über acht Jahre in immer dunkler werdende Kleider, bevor sie ausgefärbt sind. Es gibt eine beige Morphe, bei der der Rücken und die Steuerfedern im Adultkleid nicht kastanienbraun, sondern cremefarben sind. Diese Morphe scheint häufig in ariden Regionen aufzutreten. Ihr Anteil liegt aber höchstens bei 7 %.

Gaukler im Vogelpark Walsrode

Bei adulten Vögeln ist der vordere Schnabel gelb mit schwarzer Spitze; Schnabelbasis und Wachshaut sind wie eine unbefiederte Partie um das Auge rot. Die Iris ist – wie in allen Kleidern – braun. Das Gefieder ist überwiegend schwarz. Das Schultergefieder ist grau und zeigt, wenn es frisch vermausert ist, weißliche Säume. Rücken, Bürzel, Steuerfedern und Unterschwanzdecken sind kastanienbraun. Bei Männchen sind die Großen Armdecken und Armschwingen schwarz, bei Weibchen sind erstere dunkelbraun, letztere jedoch grau mit breiter, schwarzer Endbinde. Beine und Füße sind bei beiden Geschlechtern rot.

Vögel im Jugendkleid sind langschwänziger und überwiegend braun gefiedert mit sichtlich aufgehelltem Kopf und rötlichen Säumen auf der übrigen Oberseite. Die Wachshaut ist grünlichblau, die Füße weißlich gefärbt. In den folgenden Kleidern werden subadulte Vögel dunkler und zeigen bereits andeutungsweise die Farbpartien adulter Vögel. Gesicht, Beine und Füße färben sich zunächst orange, bevor sie allmählich die lebhaft rote Färbung wie bei adulten Vögeln annehmen.

Beim Abflug startet der Gaukler mit ungewöhnlich schnellen Flügelschlägen und fällt dann in den typisch gaukelnden 50–60 km/h schnellen Segelflug, in dem er die Flügel in einem tiefen V hält und hin- und herschaukelt. Dabei schlägt er kaum einmal mit den Flügeln, ist aber auch auf ein gewisses Maß an Thermik angewiesen. Am frühen Morgen, am späten Nachmittag oder bei nassem und kaltem Wetter sitzen Gaukler daher meist über lange Zeit auf Bäumen. Dabei halten sie sich typischerweise sehr aufrecht.

Stimme

Der Gaukler ist meist wenig ruffreudig. Lautäußerungen sind vor allem während der Balz aber auch bei Gefahr oder Auseinandersetzungen zu vernehmen. Hauptrufe sind ein raues schaaa-ah oder ein bellendes kau-or. Sie sind sowohl von sitzenden, als auch von balzenden Vögeln, aber auch von Gauklern, die anderen Arten die Beute abjagen, zu hören. Sie sind laut und weit tragend und werden meist mit zurückgeworfenem Kopf vorgebracht. In ihrer höchsten Intensität erinnern sie an Rufe des Schreiseeadlers.

Verbreitung

Verbreitung (grün) des Gauklers

Das Verbreitungsgebiet des Gauklers erstreckt sich über große Teile der Afrotropis, wo er jedoch im Regenwaldgürtel, auf Madagaskar, an der Spitze des Horns von Afrika und in großen Teilen des Südens fehlt oder ausgestorben ist. Im Norden reicht es vom südlichen Mauretanien über den Senegal und Gambia, durch das südliche Mali und Guinea ostwärts bis in den mittleren Sudan, nach Äthiopien und ins westliche Somalia. Die Südgrenze verläuft durch Namibia, Botswana und das nördliche und nordöstliche Südafrika. Unklar ist, ob die Vorkommen im südwestlichen Saudi-Arabien und im Jemen noch bestehen.

Lebensraum

Im Flugbild kann der Gaukler geierähnlich wirken – mit kurzem Schwanz und außergewöhnlich langen Flügeln.

Der Gaukler besiedelt offene und halboffene Landschaften wie Grasland, Trocken- und Dornstrauchsavannen bis hin zu lichtem Trockenwald. In geschlossenen Wäldern und Feuchtgebieten fehlt er hingegen, kann aber auch auf seinen ausgedehnten Nahrungsflügen über solchen oder anderen Habitaten beobachtet werden. Die Höhenverbreitung liegt zwischen Seehöhe und 4500 m, meist aber unter 3000 m.

Ernährung

Das Nahrungsspektrum des Gauklers ist sehr vielfältig. Er jagt zum einen aktiv Beute wie Säugetiere und Vögel, sucht aber auch gezielt nach Aas und frisst zudem Vogeleier, Insekten wie Termiten oder Heuschrecken, toten Fisch oder Krabben.

Die Größe der Beutetiere kann sehr unterschiedlich sein. Sie reicht von der von Spitzmäusen oder Kleinvögeln bis hin zu kleinen Antilopen oder Trappen, Dikdiks, Uhus und Hornvögeln. Im Hinblick auf das Gewicht reicht sie bis zu über 1,2 kg bei Vögeln und 4 kg bei Säugetieren. Säugetiere und Vögel machen zwischen 70 und 90 % der Beute aus. Im Unterschied zu anderen Schlangenadlern ist der Anteil von Reptilien an der Beute recht gering. Hier reicht das Spektrum von kleinen Eidechsen über Schlangen bis hin zu Waranen.

Der Gaukler kann bis zu acht oder neun Stunden täglich für seine Nahrungsflüge aufwenden, wobei er ein Gebiet von 55 bis 200 km² abfliegen oder zwischen 300 und 500 km Strecke zurücklegen kann. Er sucht dabei aus etwa 50 m Höhe die Landschaft ab, fliegt bisweilen ein Stück zurück und stößt in engen Spiralen zu Boden, um Beute zu greifen oder Aas zu untersuchen. Nicht selten trifft er als erster bei einem Kadaver ein oder liest frischtote Verkehrsopfer von Straßen auf. Beute wird meist am Boden getötet, nachdem sich der Gaukler mit halb geöffneten Flügeln auf den Boden hat fallen lassen oder mit offenen Flügeln hinab geglitten ist. Gelegentlich wird sie auch aus der Luft gegriffen, wie in einem Fall bei einer Weißflügelseeschwalbe dokumentiert, oder anderen Vögeln abgejagt. Insekten werden oft zu Fuß gefangen.

An Orten mit reichem Nahrungsangebot wie Brand- oder Überschwemmungsflächen sowie an Termitenbauten mit schwärmenden Tieren können sich manchmal zwischen 40 und 50 oder mehr Gaukler versammeln. Juvenile oder subadulte Vögel finden sich häufiger an größeren Kadavern ein als adulte Individuen.

Fortpflanzung

Die Brutzeit liegt in Westafrika zwischen September und Mai, erstreckt sich in Ostafrika über das ganze Jahr und im südlichen Afrika von Dezember bis August. Die auffällige Flugbalz mit schaukelnden, überschlags- und sturzflugartigen Flugmanövern erfolgt unter lauten Flügelschlägen, die noch recht weit entfernt zu hören sind.

Das zwischen 40 und 150 cm breite und 30 bis 80 cm hohe Nest wird innerhalb von fünf bis sechs Wochen aus Zweigen errichtet und begrünt. Es steht zwischen 7 und 26 m hoch in weit ausladenden Astgabeln großer Bäume wie Senegalia nigrescens und anderen Akazienverwandten, Ficus sycomorus oder Diospyros mespiliformis. Gelegentlich wird es auf Nestern anderer Vogelarten und oft in der Nähe von Flussläufen errichtet. Es wird häufig über mehrere Jahre wiederverwendet und nimmt mit der Zeit an Größe zu. Meist wird aber alle drei Jahre ein neues Nest gebaut.

Das Gelege besteht aus einem einzigen, schmutzigweißen Ei von 79 mm × 63 mm Größe, das zwischen 52 und 59 Tagen von beiden Partnern bebrütet wird. Die Nestlingszeit variiert stark, sie kann zwischen 93 und 194 Tagen liegen, dauert aber meist zwischen 110 und 112 Tagen. Die Jungvögel sind nach dem Ausfliegen noch bis zu vier Monate von den Eltern abhängig. Beide Eltern beteiligen sich an der Jungenaufzucht und dabei werden sie von weiteren Altvögeln oder subadulten Vögeln unterstützt.

Bis zu ein Drittel der Bruten scheitert im Verlauf der Nestlingszeit, wenn die Nester während der langen Nahrungsflüge der Altvogel unbewacht von Prädatoren ausgeräumt werden.

Wanderungen

Gaukler im Jugendkleid

Revierpaare sind meist Standvögel. Jungvögel, die aus dem Familienverband vertrieben wurden, legen hingegen teils weite Strecken zurück und leben nomadisch. Im Südwesten und Osten Afrikas bilden sich bisweilen größere Ansammlungen. Vögel des westlichen Afrikas weichen der Regenzeit zwischen Juli und September oft nach Norden aus, Vögel aus dem östlichen Afrika eher entlang des Äquators. Als Irrgast wurde die Art in Spanien, Tunesien, Ägypten, Zypern, Israel, Palästina und im Irak festgestellt.

Bestandsentwicklung

Der Gaukler kommt meist nur selten oder zerstreut vor, kann jedoch lokal recht verbreitet sein wie beispielsweise in der Masai Mara. In großen Teilen des Verbreitungsgebiets war der Bestand seit den 1970er Jahren relativ starken Rückgängen von bis zu 50 % unterworfen, deren Ursachen teils immer noch anhalten, sodass die Art als potentiell bedroht (“near threatened”) eingestuft wird und teilweise sogar die Kriterien für eine bedrohte Art (“vulnerable”) erfüllt. Besonders groß waren die Bestandsverluste seit den 1940er Jahren in Südafrika, wo die Art um bis zu 80 % zurückging. Umfasste der Bestand in Transvaal ursprünglich 2000–2500 Brutpaare, so waren es Anfang der 1980er Jahre nur noch 420–470 Paare. Diese Zahl stieg dann jedoch wieder auf etwa 600 Paare in den 1990er Jahren an.

Der Weltbestand liegt vermutlich zwischen 10.000 und 100.000 Individuen. Rückläufig sind die Zahlen an der Elfenbeinküste, in Nigeria, im Sudan und in Somalia, Teilen Kenias, Tansanias und Simbabwes sowie in Namibia, Botswana und Teilen Südafrikas. Zunahmen gab es hingegen in Masai Mara, im Norden Südafrikas und möglicherweise in Uganda. Aus dem Südwesten Arabiens liegen seit 1999 keine Nachweise mehr vor.

Die Hauptgefährdungsursache ist vielerorts die direkte Verfolgung durch kommerzielle Großbauern, die vergiftete Kadaver auslegen. Aber auch im Umfeld von kleineren, Ackerbau treibenden Stammesgesellschaften kommt dies bisweilen vor. Weitere Ursachen sind die zunehmende Belastung durch Pestizide, die Zerstörung von Lebensraum, Störung durch die Ausweitung menschlicher Siedlungen und der Fang für den internationalen Handel.

Literatur

• James Ferguson-Lees, David A. Christie: Raptors of the World. Helm Identification Guides, Christopher Helm, London 2001, ISBN 0-7136-8026-1.
• A. C. Kemp, Jr., Guy Kirwan, David Christie: Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) (1994/2013), in: J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, A. D. Christie, E. de Juana (Hg.): Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive, Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2014

Weblinks

– Sammlung von Bildern, Videos und Audiodateien

• Terathopius ecaudatus in der Roten Liste gefährdeter Arten der IUCN 2012. Eingestellt von: BirdLife International, 2012. Abgerufen am 4. Januar 2015.
• xeno-canto: Tonaufnahmen – Gaukler (Terathopius ecaudatus)
• Videos, Fotos und Tonaufnahmen zu Terathopius ecaudatus in der Internet Bird Collection

Lo Bateleire de las savanas (Terathopius ecaudatus (Daudin, 1800)) es un rapaç diürne qu'aparten a la familha dels Accipitridae. Es probablament a l'origina de l'ausèl Zimbabwe.

Plan gròs

Ο άνουρος αετός ή αλλιώς αετός μπατελέρ είναι είδος αετού που ζει στη νότια Αφρική. Η επιστημονική του ονομασία είναι Terathopius ecaudatus και δεν περιλαμβάνει υποείδη. Αποτελεί το μοναδικό μέλος του γένους Terathopius και μπορεί να είναι η προέλευση του "Πουλιού της Ζιμπάμπουε",

Τάση παγκόσμιου πληθυσμού

• Καθοδική ↓

Μορφολογία

Εν πτήσει

Ανήλικα στη Μποτσουάνα(αρσενικό δεξιά θηλυκό αριστερά)

Ο άνουρος αετός είναι ένας μεσαίου μεγέθους αετός. Έχει μήκος 50–60 εκ. και άνοιγμα φτερών 170–190 εκ. Τα ενήλικα ζυγίζουν 2 με 2,6 κιλά.

Είναι απαραγνώριστα πουλιά, αφού ξεχωρίζουν από τα άλλα αρπακτικά. Έχει πολύχρωμο φτέρωμα: Το σώμα του είναι γκριζόμαυρο, η ράχη του στο χρώμα της σκουργιάς και οι φτερούγες είναι γκρι-μπεζ από τη πάνω μεριά, ενώ απ' την κάτω είναι ολόλευκα. Τα ερετικά είναι μαύρα. Επιπλέον, η φτερούγα του λεπταίνει όσο πιο κοντά είναι στα πρωτεύοντα. Η ουρά του είναι υπερβολικά κοντή (στην πτήση τα πόδια προεξέχουν από αυτήν) και έχει χρώμα κοκκινομόβ. Το πρόσωπό του είναι κόκκινο, με περισσότερα φτερά και πιο παχύ ράμφος στο αρσενικό. Επίσης το αρσενικό έχει ολόμαυρα ερετικά, ενώ το θηλυκό με λευκά ερετικά με μαύρο πίσω χείλος. Τα ανήλικα έχουν καφετί χρώμα με πρασινόχρωμο πρόσωπο.

Προσδόκιμο ζωής

Ο άνουρος αετός ζει 20-25 χρόνια στη φύση, έως 55 χρόνια σε αιχμαλωσία.

Γεωγραφική εξάπλωση

Ο άνουρος αετός αναπαράγεται στην Αφρική, σε πολλές περιοχές νότια της Σαχάρας, δυτικά του Καμερούν και ανατολικά μέχρι τη νοτιοδυτική Αραβία. Επίσης είναι περιπλανώμενος μέχρι τη βόρεια Αίγυπτο, το Ισραήλ, την Κύπρο (τον Απρίλιο του 2007) και την Κωνσταντινούπολη (τον Μάιο του 2015)^[2].

Βιολογία

Ο άνουρος αετός απαντά σε πεδιάδες, σαβάνες με ακακίες και θάμνους. Ζει σε μοναχικά, ζεύγη, μερικές φορές σε ομάδες άνω των 20 ατόμων. Η ερωτοτροπία του άνουρου αετού είναι εντυπωσιακή και περιλαμβάνει βουτιές προς το θηλυκό στον αέρα και πολύ δυνατούς ήχους με τα φτερά του που ακούγονται σε μεγάλη απόσταση. Χτίζει μια φωλιά στα δέντρα, όπου γεννάει 1 αυγό ανά εποχή, αν και μόνο το 2% των νεογνών φτάνουν στο στάδιο της ενηλικίωσης. Η κυοφορία διαρκεί 52-59 μέρες. Τρέφεται με μικρές αντιλόπες, ποντίκια, σκαντζόχοιρους, κουνέλια, σκίουρους, πτηνά, σαύρες και φίδια, έντομα, μερικές φορές αυγά, κάβουρες και πεθαμένα ψάρια.

Κατάσταση πληθυσμού

Ο άνουρος αετός απειλείται κυρίως από το κυνήγι, τη δηλητηρίαση, τη καταδίωξη, τις οχλήσεις των φωλιών και μείωση βιότοπου^[3]. Όλα αυτά κατέταξαν το είδος στα Σχεδόν Απειλούμενα (ΝΤ) είδη το 2009. Σήμερα υπολογίζεται πως υπάρχουν 10.000 - 100.000 άτομα.

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The bateleur (/ˌbætəˈlɜːr, ˈbætəlɜːr/;^[2] Terathopius ecaudatus) is a medium-sized eagle in the family Accipitridae. It is often considered a relative of the snake eagles and, like them, it is classified within the subfamily Circaetinae.^[3] It is the only member of the genus Terathopius and may be the origin of the "Zimbabwe Bird", the national emblem of Zimbabwe.^[4] Adult bateleurs are generally black in colour with a chestnut colour on the mantle as well as also on the rump and tail. Adults also have gray patches about the leading edges of the wings (extending to the secondaries in females) with bright red on their cere and their feet. Adults also show white greater coverts, contrasting with black remiges in males, gray patches on the underwing primaries and black wingtips. The juvenile bateleur is quite different, being largely drab brown with a bit of paler feather scaling. All bateleurs have extremely large heads for their size, rather small bills, large feet, relatively short legs, long, bow-like wings and uniquely short tails, which are much smaller still on adults compared to juvenile birds.^[5][6]

This species is native to broad areas of Sub-Saharan Africa and scarcely up into Arabia. It is characteristically a bird of somewhat open habitats such as savanna with some trees present and open dry woodland.^[5] It is in life history, a rather peculiar bird of prey with a free-wheeling generalist diet that includes much carrion but also tends to hunt a wide range of live prey, including many small to unexpectedly relatively large mammals and reptiles along with generally relatively small birds.^[7] Bateleurs are highly aerial birds that spend much time soaring and will frequently flight with exaggerated embellishments, perhaps when excited or angered.^[8] They tend to build a relatively small if sturdy stick nest in a large tree and lay only a single egg.^[5] Despite being a rather aggressive bird in other contexts, bateleurs are easily flushed from their own nest, making them exceptionally vulnerable to nest predators, including humans, and nest failures.^[9] It may take as long as 7 to 8 years to attain full maturity, perhaps the longest stretch to maturity of any raptor.^[5][7] This species has long been known to be declining rather pronouncedly in overall population and it is mostly confined to protected areas today.^[10][11][12] Currently the IUCN classifies the bateleur as an Endangered species due primarily to anthropogenic causes such as habitat destruction, pesticide usage and persecution.^[1]

Taxonomy and etymology

The bateleur has been found to be a proper member of the subfamily Circaetinae, commonly called snake or serpent eagles, via a variety of genetic studies.^[13] Given the outward similarities of the bateleur to snake eagles, the relationship has long been inferred by authors.^[10] In particular, the bateleur was suggested to have their closest living relations in the similarly large Circaetus snake eagles.^[3][14] This relationship was well borne-out by a genetic study that found that this species and the short-toed snake eagle (Circaetus gallicus) form a monophyletic clade, based on nucleotide sequences in the cytochrome b gene.^[15] Even though, when contrasted with snake eagles, bateleurs appear to differ greatly in plumage patterns, the two genera show certain similarities in food, feeding behavior, and breeding biology.^[13] However, Lerner and Mindell (2005), based on the molecular sequence from two mitochondrial genes and one nuclear intron, indicated a previously unsuspected close relationship of the bateleur with similarly “aberrant” but extremely different, in nearly every respect of appearance and life history, member of the Circaetinae, the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi).^[16] Chromosome banding studies have also found a relatively recent genetic relationship of the bateleurs with the Old World vultures.^[17]

The common name of "Bateleur" is French for "street performer".^[18] Meanwhile, the scientific name is from name teras (Greek) for “marvelous”; ops (Greek) for “face”; e (Latin) for “without”; caudatus (Latin) “tail”.^[7] The bird was given its common name by François Levaillant, a French naturalist and explorer.^[7] The original scientific name was Falco ecaudatus, given by François Marie Daudin, as the concept of disparate genera between birds of prey was devised later on (nor were falcons then known to be unrelated to many other variety of diurnal birds of prey).^[19]

Description

Close-up of head

A captive immature bateleur

The bateleur is of note for its unique morphology and plumage, with some anatomical similarities to both snake eagles and vultures. The species has a thick neck and a very large, rather conspicuously cowled head with a proportionately short bill, albeit one covered with a very large cere. The cowl is also present on snake eagles but in those it is less dramatically apparent.^[5][7] The other features in perched adult bateleurs are rather oddly stumpy, such as the short legs and exceptionally short tail, possibly the shortest proportionately of all raptors.^[20] Its posture while perched is extremely upright, making them look like quite a tall raptor on the ground despite its rather short legs. Even while perched, the body tends to be dominated by their exceptionally large wings, which possess some 25 secondary feathers, perhaps more than any other raptor.^[5] The adult bateleur usually has a chestnut coloration along the mantle, back, rump and tail, including the undertail coverts. The adult male bateleur is predominantly black with grey shoulders, which appear edged with white when freshly moulted. The adult female differs by having grey-brown, not black, on the greater coverts and black-tipped grey, not black, secondaries. Furthermore up to 7% of adults have a "cream morph" where they have chestnut tails but the other chestnut areas are almost fully replaced by cream to pale brown coloring. The cream morph may reportedly be slightly more prevalent in drier areas.^[5][13][21] The bare parts of adult bateleurs are exceptionally conspicuous, with the adult cere, bare facial skin and feet all being rather bright red, however in some they can also temporarily fade to pink, pale pink or yellowish at times, such as when they are perching in the shade or bathing. The bare parts flush the most red during times of excitement. The bill itself is black with a yellow centre and red base. The eyes are dark brown.^[5]

The juvenile is very distinct from the adults of the species. Juveniles of the bateleur have a longer tail than mature birds. They furthermore have essentially all brown coloring, with dull rufous to creamy edging apparent on some areas. The head of the juvenile bateleur is paler and tawnier than elsewhere on its body while the eyes are brown, the cere a rather unique greenish-blue and the feet whitish in colour.^[5][22][23] At as late as 2–3 years of age, the immature bateleur is still much the same in appearance as the juvenile but by the fourth year becomes more sooty-brown, with sexual dimorphism already evidenced by the more extensive dark wing markings of males. In the 5th year, the plumage may show the first signs of chestnut and the grey colour about back and shoulders tend to manifest. Also from 3–5 years old, the cere and feet turn yellow then to dull-pink. By the 6th and 7th years of life, the plumage of subadult bateleurs blackens and the chestnut portions of the plumage increase. The shoulders become fully grey by the 8th year, the likely age of maturity.^[5][24] As for the bare parts in juvenile bateleurs, the cere and facial skin are a distinct pale grey-blue to green-blue. The juvenile’s feet are greenish-white to greyish-white, at 4-5 the cere, facial skin and feet turn yellow, then pink before finally reddening. The eyes are similar in hue to those of adult bateleurs but are a slightly lighter, being more honey-brown, while the bill of juveniles are mainly pale grey-blue in colour.^[5][7]

Adult female bateleurs show more grey to the wing than males.

In flight, the bateleur appears as a rather large raptor with disproportionately elongated, rather narrow and slightly bow-shaped wings, which appear pinched in at the bases, broad across the secondaries and regularly narrow, pointed and upturned at the tips. Upon sighting, the wings often catch the eye before the large head, which is proportionately slightly bigger even than their cousins, the snake eagles.^[5][25] The tail is so short in adult bateleurs that the feet extend below the tail tip, almost giving the impression that the raptor nearly has no tail.^[5][20] This is as opposed to juveniles, where the feet come up about 5 cm (2.0 in) short of the tail tip, with the feet coming to exceed the tail, which is shrinking via moults, in length around the 5th year of maturation.^[5][7] The adult bateleur’s wingspan is an extraordinary 2.9 times greater than its total length.^[5] The adult male bateleur is mostly black above with a chestnut back and tail and grey forewings, below he is black on the body, contrasting with a chestnut tail, as well as with the white wing linings and black flight feathers except for the greyish based primaries. The adult female bateleur is similar in plumage to the male overall but differs in her black-tipped grey secondaries above and more extensively white underwings with the black on the female confined to the wingtips and trailing edges.^[5][20] The juvenile bateleur on the wing appears broader winged and especially longer tailed with a largely uniform brown coloration, including the greater coverts, with paler feather mainly about the head as well as on the flight feathers.^[5]

Size

The bateleur is a mid-sized eagle and large raptor. It is likely the second heaviest of the Circaetinae subfamily of accipitrids. By far the largest of the subfamily is the Philippine eagle which is well over twice as massive and is far larger in all aspects of measurement than the bateleur, with a drastically differing structure (broad, relatively short wings, very long legs and tail). One traditional snake eagle, the brown snake eagle ( Circaetus cinereus), rivals the bateleur in most aspects of size including body mass but possesses a rather longer tail and slightly shorter but broader wings. Additionally, the widespread and slightly broader-winged short-toed snake eagle and proportionately long and slender-winged black-breasted snake eagle (Circaetus pectoralis) can be nearly as large in wingspan as the bateleur but tend to be somewhat less heavy.^[5][3][26] The total length of the bateleur is 55 to 70 cm (22 to 28 in).^[27] Typical length of a full-grown bird is around 63.5 cm (25.0 in).^[28][29] The wingspan of bateleurs can vary from 168 to 190 cm (5 ft 6 in to 6 ft 3 in).^[5] Body mass of bateleurs can vary from 1,800 to 3,000 g (4.0 to 6.6 lb).^[30] One sample of 10 unsexed bateleurs weighed an average of 2,200 g (4.9 lb) while a smaller sample of three weighed an average of 2,392 g (5.273 lb).^[26][31] Additionally, a median body mass of 2,385 g (5.258 lb) was cited in one study.^[32]

The bateleur evidences some sexual dimorphism in favour of the female as is expected in raptorial birds but this size difference is fairly minimal relative to many other accipitrids, averaging up to about 6%.^[5] Among standard measurements, males have a wing chord length of 476 to 553 mm (18.7 to 21.8 in) while that of the female is 530 to 559 mm (20.9 to 22.0 in). In tail length, adult males measure 98 to 124 mm (3.9 to 4.9 in) and can be even shorter in adult females at 105 to 113 mm (4.1 to 4.4 in), in some cases the adult’s tail may reportedly measure as short as 72 mm (2.8 in). This contrasts with the tail of juvenile bateleurs which measures 142 to 172 mm (5.6 to 6.8 in). The tarsus can measure from 67 to 75 mm (2.6 to 3.0 in) in males and 72 to 75 mm (2.8 to 3.0 in) in females. Unsexed adult bateleurs in Tsavo East National Park were found to average 513 mm (20.2 in) in wing chord length, 34.5 mm (1.36 in) with a range of 28.6 to 38 mm (1.13 to 1.50 in) in culmen length and a relatively small hind claw length of 30.6 mm (1.20 in). While the hind or hallux claw is usually the most enlarged in most species of accipitrid, on the other hand in the Tsavo East bateleurs, unusually the middle claw on the front of the foot was slightly larger at 32 mm (1.3 in). Notably the proportions of bateleurs are similar to snake eagles with robust feet with rough, thick skin and short talons, the bateleur in particular having very thick, large toes structurally almost like those of a big owl and very sharp talons reminiscent in sharpness of highly predaceous larger African raptors. Further like snake eagles, bateleurs have a rather large headed but with a smallish beak coupled with a large gape. These adaptations generally equip the subfamily to better handle and ingest snakes relative to other accipitrids.^{[5][33][34][35]}

Identification

The practically unmistakable form of a bateleur in flight.

The bateleur, particularly in its adult plumage, is often considered one of the most distinctive raptors in the world.^[36] When perched or flying adults or older immatures are quite unmistakable.^[5] The bateleur can be readily be distinguished even by inexperienced observers from the very differently-shaped and usually rather smaller-bodied and winged augur buzzards (Buteo augur) and jackal buzzards (Buteo rufofuscus). These do not overlap with bateleurs in nearly all respects of morphology, proportions nor flight actions. Nonetheless, both of these buzzards are sometimes mistaken for bateleurs due to their own combinations of black, white and chestnut, which are completely differently composed than those of the bateleur.^[5][20][25] Despite how distinctive the buzzards are from the bateleur, some reports of bateleurs from areas where they are currently gone are almost certain to have been misidentified jackal buzzards.^[7] Juveniles and immatures of up to 2–3 years old are hardly less distinctive in shape but could be confused, largely due to similar proportions of their large head, brown plumage and whitish legs with certain snake eagles. The brown snake eagle is perhaps the most similar to the juvenile bateleur but it has yellow eyes, longer legs, much broader, shorter and differently shaped wings with the tips of wings reaching its banded tail.^[5][7] Even the black-chested and the rather slight Beaudouin's snake eagle (Circaetus beaudouinii) are sometimes considered potentially confusable with juvenile bateleurs, but both of these respective species are rather uniform and darker brown ventrally and about the head and much paler dorsally, with a highly different contrasting whitish cream colour below.^[5]

Vocalizations

Bateleurs are usually silent for much of the year.^[5] The main call, uttered whether perched or in aerial display, or when pirating from other raptors, is a far-carrying, loud raucous schaaaa-aw. They may too vocalize in a similar manner during courtship. Alternatively, bateleur calls may consist of resonant barking calls, kow-aw. The barking call can be accompanied by half-spread wings and jerking of the body up and down or may too be uttered in flight, the latter in a similar manner to that of a fish eagle.^[5][10] Distraction display are sometimes accompanied by subdued barking chatter, ka-ka-ka-ka....^[5][34] A not dissimilar call of kau-kau-kau-koaagh-koaggh has been described as given by perched birds.^[10] Other softer calls are uttered when perched near the nest.^[5] The young of the bateleur tend to engage harsh squealing call is kyup-kyup keeaw keeaw, usually as a hunger call at approach of parent with food. Also the species’ young may make a melodious twip call.^[10][34]

Distribution and habitat

A savannah bateleur in Bénin

The bateleur occupies a very large range through mainly sub-Saharan Africa.^[5][37] The species resides in West Africa from southern Mauritania to Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, the northern portions of Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and much of Ghana through western Burkina Faso, much of Togo and Benin and northern and central Nigeria.^{[1][38][39][40]} It is possibly extinct in Mauritania, range restricted in Guinea (mainly to Kiang West) and Liberia but is still locally common where good habitat remains elsewhere in this region.^[41][42] Similarly far north, a rare population is believed to persist out of Africa in extreme southwestern Saudi Arabia and western Yemen.^[43][44] In central and east Africa, the bateleur may be found in northern Cameroon, southern Niger, southern Chad, southern Sudan, South Sudan, northern Central African Republic, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, western Somalia, northern, eastern and southern Democratic Republic of the Congo and a majority of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.^{[45][46][47][48][49]} In Southern Africa, the bateleur is found quite widely, being found almost throughout, where habitat is favorable, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique. Additionally, they may range Botswana in all but southernmost portion also being found still in northern and eastern Namibia and northwestern South Africa, where its range has contracted considerably from as far south once as the Cape Province to almost entirely to being found exclusively within protected areas north of the Orange River excepting a portion of Kruger National Park.^{[13][50][51][52][53][54][55]} The species is possibly extirpated from Eswatini in southern Africa.^[56] The bateleur is regarded as a vagrant in the countries of Tunisia, Cyprus and rarely Egypt, Israel and Iraq.^[5][57][58] In April 2012 a juvenile bateleur was seen in Algeciras in southern Spain.^[59]

Habitat

An adult and juvenile in characteristic savanna habitat in Botswana.

The bateleur is a common to fairly common resident or nomadic^[23] bird of the partially open savanna country and of woodland within Sub-Saharan Africa.^[5][38] During breeding, it tends to require closed-canopy savannah-woodland habitats, including Acacia savanna as well as mopane and miombo woodlands. They may too acclimate to thornveld and overall various fairly shrubby areas.^[5][7][53] It tends to rarely occur in heavily forested and mountainous habitats. However, while the species can forage extensively in largely treeless habitats such as treeless savanna but is nearly as rare in pure desert lacking arborescent growth as it is in tropical rainforests.^[60] Bateleurs are seldom to be found around extensive wetlands but may regularly be found near watering holes.^[5] Although often in fairly dry savanna habitats, in Kenya it is reportedly absent from areas where the rainfall is under 250 mm (9.8 in) annually, probably because it limits the growth of the leafy trees that they require for nesting.^[61] In Ethiopia, it tends to be associated with well-wooded areas.^[46] Habitat tends to be most closely studied in southern Africa.^[6] It is mostly common found in broad-leaved woodland in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. In Namibia it is often found over tall woodland near drainage lines, and over ephemeral rivers in north-eastern Namibia and within the more arid Etosha National Park.^[60] In Zambia, it is found in a variety of habitats from woodlands to open plains but avoids the most densely wooded areas.^[51] Reportedly in Malawi, it is often associated with Forest–savanna mosaics but is sometimes regularly seen over cultivated areas and even may be seen flying over large cities.^[52] To the contrary, in Mozambique it is said to avoid areas with a dense human population.^[62] The species can occur from sea level up to 4,500 m (14,800 ft), but not normally a mountain-dwelling species and mainly occurs below 3,000 m (9,800 ft).^[5] This is supported in Zimbabwe, where the bateleur is relatively common but appears to largely avoid the extensive amount of hilly and rugged areas present in that country.^[54]

Behaviour

A juvenile bateleur flying while carrying a bird's foot in its mouth.

This bateleur is unusually conspicuous due to its propensity for gliding flights over favorable habitats in much of Africa.^[7] The bird spends a considerable amount of time on the wing, particularly in low-altitude flights.^[63] Due to the conspicuous behaviour and colorful plumage, the bateleur is frequently described in superlatives such as "one of the most beautiful and spectacular things that flies".^[10] This species tends to take off with unusually fast, shallow beats for a bird of this relative large size.^[5] After take-off, the bateleur sails at a mean speed of about 50 to 60 km/h (31 to 37 mph). They often rock from side-to-side with the wings held in a strong dihedral with very limiting flapping, vaguely recalling the flight of the American turkey vulture (Cathares aura) although the flight is generally more forceful, fast and acrobatic than that species and at times can be evocative of a huge falcon.^[64][65] Although the species tends to fly fairly low, bateleurs can soar and circle quite high as well.^[5][10][20] Engaged in its aforementioned dihedral flight it is often cants continuously from side-to-side, likely the origin of which it was given its common name (loosely "tumbler", "balancer" or “tightrope walker") of French derivation.^[10] Various flying embellishments may be undertaken nearly aseasonally.^[5][34] Although not typically given to forward somersault nor to loop-the-loop, bateleurs may with some regularity perform a rapid 360 degrees sideways roll.^[10] They are often given to flying with more embellishments when in the presence of another bateleur, even with juveniles provoking one another entirely uncoupled seemingly from breeding courtship or territorial displays.^[5] Typical home ranges of around 40 km² (15 sq mi) were reported per pair in Kruger National Park and these were considered unusually small by overall species standards.^[5] Intruders to whom this behaviour is displayed always submit and submission is shown by retreating to a safe upper boundary (elevation). Males and females both display this behaviour in all stages of the breeding cycle. This behaviour is mainly shown to members of the same sex and particularly to non-adults, as it is thought that they may have a greater ability to take over another bird's territory (having greater competitive ability for limited food resources).^[8]

The bateleur is generally a solitary bird. However, juveniles may accompany one or both parents for about three months and loose congregations of as many as 40-50 or more have been record of mainly immatures. These tend to be aggregations of otherwise unassociated immature bateleurs attracted to rich feeding areas such as newly-discovered carrion, bush fires, recently burnt areas or temporary floods and occasionally by termite emergences.^[3][5] In the wild bateleurs are shy of man and sensitive to disturbance at the nest, easily abandoning the structure.^[66] In captivity, however, they become unusually tame.^[67] Bateleur eagles are among a group of raptors that secrete a clear, salty fluid from their nares whilst eating. According to Schmidt-Nielson's 1964 hypothesis, this is due to the general necessity for birds to use an extrarenal mechanism of salt secretion to aid water reabsorption.^[68]

Nomadism and dispersals

Generally, as in most raptors found as breeding residents in Africa, the bateleur is considered sedentary and territorial but it is a species that requires very large home ranges.^[5] However, in general the species neither as staunchly residential nor sedentary as many other Sub-Saharan African raptors.^[34][69] Both immature and sometimes adult bateleurs are considered clearly nomadic.^[5][70] At times, the bateleur is even regarded as an “irruptive or local migrant”.^[13][71] Some regular north-to-south movements may occur in West Africa and may occur transequatorially in East Africa to avoid heavy rains.^[5] In Kruger, immatures are driven out by adults on territory during the breeding season and then often wander widely before returning for the non-breeding season.^[5] Recoveries of juveniles in southern Africa show that individuals have been recovered at assorted distances from their nests of origin ranging from as far as 30 to 285 km (19 to 177 mi) away. It was noted that in some cases, heavier rainfall may have caused farther afield dispersals.^[72]

Thermoregulation

Bateleur sunbathing by a waterhole

Bateleurs seem to devote an exceptional amount of time to thermoregulation frequently spending much of its day variously sunning, to warm up, and bathing, to cool off.^[34] These eagles are frequently seen to enter water-bodies for a bath and then open their wings to often sunbathe. Standing upright and holding their wings straight out to the sides and tipped vertically, a classic 'phoenix' pose as they turn to follow the sun.^[73] Bateleurs will stand on the ground with their wings spread, exposing the feathers to direct sunlight, warming the oils in the feathers. The bird will then spread the oils with its beak to improve its aerodynamics. In some countries, local nicknames of the species may include as the "Conifer eagle" or "Pine eagle" due to its feathers resembling a conifer cone when fluffed up and engaging in thermoregulatory behaviour.^[74][75][76] At times, this is described as a “striking heraldic posture”.^[7] Bateleurs may also be seen "praying" allowing ants to crawl over the wings and feathers, collecting bits of food, dead feather and skin material. When covered in ants, the bateleur then ruffles its feathers, startling the ants, which react by secreting formic acid as self-defence. This in turn kills the ticks and fleas, possibly ridding the host of its parasites.^[77]

Dietary biology

A bateleur feeding on a hare.

The bateleur is a dietary generalist. This species generally forages from the flight, flying mostly low and straight whilst scanning the ground, periodically banking and retracing sections of the track when possible foods are spotted. Their hunting range can be truly enormous ranging in some cases up to 55 to 200 km² (21 to 77 sq mi).^[5][23] Bateleurs may spend up to 8–9 hours or up to 80% of daylight on the wing, perhaps largely for hunting and foraging purposes, and have reported having even covered as much as 300 to 500 km (190 to 310 mi) in a single day.^[5] When potential prey or food is spotted, they then descend in tight spirals to check it out.^[5] The bateleur is a very effective discoverer of carrion at all times and often is the first to come to large carcasses or roadkills.^[5][13] Juveniles appear to attend large carrion much more than adults and dietary studies appear to support that carrion is rather more significant to the foods of juvenile and immature bateleurs compared to adults.^[5][7][33] Despite an aptitude for scavenging, descriptions of this eagle as “not a very rapacious species” are erroneous as it has been found to a highly powerful predator for its size and one that is often rather active at pursuing living prey, with seemingly most food consumed during the breeding season being prey that the bateleur has itself killed.^[10][7][33] Bateleurs kill most prey on the ground with a steep stoop on partially closed wings. On the evidence, they may alter their stoop onto prey with a slow drop with raised wings, rather in a gentle descent like a parachute, largely when taking slower moving prey such as some reptiles.^{[5][7][78][79]} Additionally, they can also take birds on the wing.^[78] As occasional kleptoparasites, they sometimes aerially pirate foods from other raptors. Alternately, they may try to intercept other raptors' kills while the raptor is feeding on them, whether it be on the ground, in a tree or on a rock, or even immediately after the kill is made.^[5][7] These piratical attacks are sometimes carried out against large carrion eaters like vultures and even against larger eagles, and in them, they may drive their target to the ground, with interlocking talons or trading shallow blows with their feet.^[7][78] Bateleurs also hunt insects by walking on the ground, particularly after grassfires, and will patrol for small carcasses alongside roads.^[5]

Bateleurs forage almost entirely based on opportunity and have no particular specialization on any particular prey type.^[7] As a result, a wide prey spectrum has been reported, with around 160 prey species known, they thus rival martial eagles (Polemaetus bellicosus) and perhaps just slightly behind tawny eagles (Aquila rapax) as the most diversified feeder known among African eagles.^{[7][6][33][78]} Among their prey, mammals, birds and reptiles, roughly in that order, seem to be considerably preferred over other prey taxa.^[7][78] Based on morphology, their long middle toes have been cited as an indication that they originally diversified to become a bird-eater but a rather small degree of sexual dimorphism between males and females indicates a preference for mammal eating.^[5][80][81] By the most complete picture of the bateleurs diet was a compilation study that compiled 1879 prey items from differing parts of the range.^[78] In it was found that bateleurs derived 54.6% of the diet from mammals, with perhaps two-thirds to about half of the diet being mammalian carrion, along with 23.7% of the diet being from birds, 17.8% from reptiles, 1.9% from fish, 1.8% from invertebrates and an extremely small amount (about 0.2%) of amphibian food.^[78] Predominantly, within the compilation study, preys were unidentified to species, with 58.4% of the carrion sources, 26.9% of live mammals, genera, or families, and 22.2% of birds unidentified to species.^[78]

The markedly rough, large and short-clawed foot of a captive adult bateleur.

Differing study areas show differing prey results for bateleurs.^[7][78] In a woodland-based study of nesting birds in Zimbabwe, 175 prey items were found for bateleurs with the diet seemingly dominated by prey appearing to be taken alive and relatively large prey at that. The primary prey in the study were found to be scrub hare (Lepus saxatilis) (at 26.3% of the prey by number), Cape hyrax (Procavia capensis) (at 10.3%), Gambian pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus) (6.85%), brown greater galago (Otolemur crassicaudatus) (6.28%) and helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris) (4.57%).^[82] In the more hilly, rocky country of Zimbabwe, seemingly live prey was also preferred but a stronger prevalence of birds was detected among the 249 prey items. In this study, the main prey were scrub hares (22.8%), unidentified doves (10%), glossy starlings (6.72%), other small birds of around 100 g (3.5 oz) (6.69%), crested guineafowls (Guttera pucherani) (5.43%) and unidentified mammals (5.02%).^[83] In Kruger National Park, a much stronger preference for likely or verified carrion was detected in the bateleur’s breeding season diet. Here, 731 food items in thornveld type habitat and 341 prey items in savanna type habitat were reviewed. It was estimated 31.6% of the diet was carrion was from medium-sized antelopes of around 20 to 40 kg (44 to 88 lb) in weight, followed by small carrion sources of around 8 to 15 kg (18 to 33 lb) to somewhat larger carrion from 54 kg (119 lb) impala (Aepyceros melampus). Beyond carrion, the Kruger food study found that 16.4% of the total diet consisted of unidentified live mammals, 3.73% each by assorted dove species and lilac-breasted rollers (Coracias caudatus), 3% by glossy starlings and 1.6% by skinks.^[78] Further variation was found in the diet farther north in Tsavo East National Park in Kenya. Of 139 prey items from the nest areas of 2 pairs, mostly live prey predominated again, here led by Kirk's dik-diks (Madoqua kirkii) at 19.42%, unidentified snakes at 18.7%, cape hares at 4.3%, Crocidura shrews at 3.59%, ungulate carrion at 3.59%, Streptopelia doves at 3.59%, common dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula) at 2.87% and red-crested korhaan (Lophotis ruficrista) at 2.87%.^[33] Without statistics, Cangandala National Park in Angola, the prey species reported at nests included brown greater galago, greater cane rat (Thryonomys swinderianus), Gambian pouched rat, and unidentified hares.^[50] Unfortunately, detailed dietary studies have only been conducted in southern and eastern Africa and details of the diet are unknown elsewhere, however it is assumed the species is a generalist and opportunist throughout its range.^[84]

Juvenile bateleur with avian prey.

In general, a picture emerges that the primary food sources of bateleurs are live-taken medium-sized mammals, carrion of generally larger mammal species, rather smallish bird prey, and a small diversity of reptiles.^[7][34][78] When selecting mammals, small prey such as rodents and shrews are by no means neglected but a preference for relatively large rodents tends to be found.^[7] These may consist of assorted mice, gerbils and dormice to ground squirrels, bush squirrels and vlei rats to very large rodents such as Gambian pouched rats, greater and lesser cane rat (Thryonomys gregorianus) and South African springhares (Pedetes capensis) although certainly any consumption of adult Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) is derived from carrion.^{[7][34][33][78][85]} Additionally, most African species of hare as well as, more secondarily, hedgehogs and elephant shrews and a variety of smallish carnivorous mammals.^{[7][78][83][86][87]} The latter may include live prey species including several species of mongoose, from dwarf to banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) and Selous's mongoose (Paracynictis selousi), both about the same body mass as a bateleur, and at least four species of genets as well as striped polecats (Ictonyx striatus).^{[34][78][83][86][88]} Over 30 mammal species have been identified as foods for bateleurs exclusive from carrion, including various larger food species, with carrion of ungulates ranging in size from that of Sharpe's grysbok (Raphicerus sharpei) to African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) and the carrion of carnivorans from the size of jackals to that of lions (Panthera leo).^[78][79] In compilation studies, the most often fed-on ungulates by bateleurs that were identified to species were reported to be impala and steenbok (Raphicerus campestris), at 4.2% and 2.2% of the total foods, respectively .^[78][79] Bateleurs have been reported to opportunistically scavenge on human remains, as was reportedly witnessed during the South African Border War.^[7]

Outside of galagos, among primate foods most monkeys observed in the diet such as baboons and vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) are thought to be largely scavenged as carrion.^[78][79] However, studies of king colobus (Colobus polykomos) and Angola colobus (Colobus angolensis) in Central and southeastern Africa (both where few details are known of bateleurs’ diets), it was mentioned bateleurs may be a potential predator of troops based on the anti-predator activity and vocalizations of these species provoked by bateleurs.^[89][90] The bateleur, using its large, powerful feet, does not shy away from very large prey and has been known to regularly kill mammals heavier than itself including scrub hare estimated to weigh 2,600 g (5.7 lb), springhares estimated to weigh 3,000 g (6.6 lb), Cape hyrax estimated to weigh 3,800 g (8.4 lb), Kirk's dik diks estimated to weigh 4,000 g (8.8 lb) and greater cane rats estimated to weigh 4,500 g (9.9 lb).^[33][78] Even more impressive mammalian kills have been suspected, with instances where reportedly adults black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas), honey badgers (Mellivora capensis), and aardwolf (Protelas cristatus), any of which may weigh around twice the aforementioned large mammal prey for bateleurs, may have been unexpectedly killed by bateleurs.^[13][33][79] Furthermore, an instance of attempted predation in Tanzania on an adult honey badger was witnessed, ending with both the bateleur and badger dying from the ensuing fight.^[91]

Male at Maasai Mara with a coqui francolin kill.

In all, a considerable diversity of birds may be taken by bateleurs, perhaps around 80 species being known in their prey spectrum.^[7][6][78] They often focus on rather small, if normally live caught, birds compared to other eagles of a similar size.^[7][78] Bateleurs may show a special liking for pigeons and doves as prey, although only about a half dozen have been identified to species. Doves usually of the genus Streptopelia were found to be the most prominent avian prey in compilation studies, accounting for 17.6% of known avian prey and 4.25% of the total foods in several large bateleur food studies.^{[7][23][78][92]} Much other similar avian prey, commonly those weighing around 80 to 300 g (2.8 to 10.6 oz), including a surprising diversity of nightjars (perhaps since they are prone to end up as roadkill due to their predilection for resting on roads by night) and shorebirds like lapwings, other plovers, sandpipers and terns in addition to kingfishers (up to the size of the giant kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima)), rollers, hoopoes, small hornbills, parakeets and some passerines, usually those with a conspicuous presence on the savanna such as shrikes, weavers and starlings.^{[7][34][33][46][78][83][93][94][95]}, Unlike many other eagles of similar or larger size, there are few instances of waterfowl or large waders (i.e. heron, storks, flamingoes, etc.) falling prey to bateleurs although at least one African spoonbill (Platalea alba) was recorded as bateleur prey.^[7][78][79] The largest typical avian prey tends to be assorted gamebirds, with most common guineafowl, spurfowl and francolin, smaller available species of bustard and some quail known in their diet. The largest of these avian prey species attacked by bateleurs top out around 1,200 to 1,800 g (2.6 to 4.0 lb).^{[7][34][33][78][83]} The reason for the disinterest in mid-sized to large avian prey of sizes comparable to some mammals and reptiles are known to have been taken by bateleurs is not clear, as the bateleur does not, in general, appear to shy away from difficult-to-capture birds nor to large and dangerous prey of other animal classes.^[34][78][83]

A bateleur depicted killing a young jackal.

The bateleur was once reported to be a very common predator of reptiles like their cousins the snake eagles.^[7] Although this is somewhat erroneous, bateleurs do not infrequently include reptiles in their diet.^[78] As much as 30% of the diet can be reptilian, mainly snakes.^[6][33][78] Some reptiles taken are small and innocuous such as a few species of plated lizards and a few species of colubrid snakes.^[6][78] However, like their cousins, the bateleur does not seem to shy away from venomous snakes nor other large or formidable reptiles. They have been known to take puff adder (Bitis arietans), boomslangs (Dispholidus typus), Egyptian cobras (Naja haje) and unidentified mambas, with the latter actually reported to be the most prominent known reptile prey in compilation studies, accounting for 18.9% of reported reptile prey and 3.35% of total prey.^{[7][78][79][92]} They can take sizable snakes, even adult puff adders which can grow much heavier than the eagle themselves.^[91] However, the bateleur is not immune to venom nor is as well specialized to dispatching venomous snakes as are snake eagles, and, in one case, a mutual killing recorded between a puff adder and a bateleur was reported.^[7] Sizable, and far from defenseless, if not venomous reptiles known in the prey spectrum may include monitor lizards including Nile (Varanus niloticus) and savannah monitors (Varanus exanthematicus), some terrapins and tortoises and African rock pythons (Python sebae), although excepting small, young ones, these types of reptilian prey are perhaps in many cases consumed after they are already deceased, such as via roadkills.^{[7][34][78][92]} Nevertheless, bateleurs occasionally hunt small tortoises and monitor lizards, and in one instance, live predation on an adult monitor lizard about 1.4 m in length has been reported.^[96][83] The bateleur is known to carry snakes to the nest in the style of ordinary snake eagles, with the dead snake being half swallowed and subsequently extracted by the capturing bird's mate, usually the female at the nest.^[7] Seldom identified prey may include assorted, and almost entirely unidentified, insects. Mostly swarming social insects seem to attract bateleurs, including locusts.^[7][78] It was recently verified that bateleurs will semi-regularly visit termite mounds to hunt down alates, although such feeding has been inferred in the past.^[97] Other prey can include a rare amphibian, none of which are known to be identified to species or family.^[78][79] Although fish are not typically taken, as much as 1.1% of the diet locally can consist of large Clarias catfish and it is likely that stranded fish are not neglected when opportuned upon.^[7][6][78]

Interspecific predatory relationships

The bateleur seems to adapt to living in the highly competitive continent of Africa by foraging with a lack of specialization, with a seeming lack of discrimination regarding the prey item/food source nor its origin although its highly aerial and free-ranging foraging mode is quite unique.^[10][7] The bateleur, nonetheless, must face considerable and intense competition from other birds of prey especially.^[7] The range of other raptors, especially other eagles and vultures, may appear to be daunting.^[7][6] One of the most similar eagles to regularly encounter the bateleur is the tawny eagle. These two species overlap in many significant ways, being similar in body mass and predatory prowess as well as in nesting habitat, tendency to attack a wide size range of prey (including large prey) and general disposition. Furthermore, both of these eagles show ability to freely change feeding methods between live predation, scavenging on carrion and piracy.^[7][9] In Tsavo East National Park, bateleurs were studied along with tawny eagles, significantly larger martial eagles and slightly smaller African hawk-eagles (Aquila spilogaster).^[33] Here all four largish eagles relied primarily upon Kirk's dik dik for food but were mostly slightly staggered in breeding season, with the bateleur nesting on average earlier than the other eagles.^[33] The diet was by far most similar with that tawny eagle in Tsavo East, overlapping 66% in prey species and 72% in prey weight. Meanwhile, the diet overlapped 32% in species and 50% in weight with martial eagles and 37% in species and 57% in weight with African hawk-eagles. The one discrepancy, which is noted in other studies as well, is that the bateleur tends to focus on smaller birds than tawny eagles when selecting avian prey.^[7][33][98] Bateleurs also bear an advantage over tawny eagles in their ability forage in open habitats, with the absence of perches, due to their aerial foraging methods.^[33] However, data indicates that the tawny eagles is dominant over bateleurs typically at disputed kills or carrion.^[7][99] One study accrued 26 instances of tawny eagles displacing bateleurs against only 5 where bateleurs displaced tawny eagles, giving illustration to the tawny eagles dominance. Frequently, the bateleur waits until the tawny eagle is done eating before it does so itself if both are at a carcass site.^[100]

A juvenile bateleur with a tawny eagle, a similar eagle in life history.

Bateleurs may encounter a huge range of other scavengers when coming to carrion. Most clearly vultures are often present at carrion. However, due to their smaller size, the tawny eagle and especially the bateleur can begin foraging for carrion earlier in the morning, while the vultures must wait for updrafts to undertake flight.^[101][102] Bateleurs in particular are considered most likely to find a carcass first before other scavengers.^[102][103] This was verified in a study in Maasai Mara where it was additionally found that scavengers kept to body size in terms of hierarchy. The descending order of scavenger dominance was stated to rank starting with the spotted hyenas (Crocuta croctua) at the top and black-backed jackals and feral dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), then the lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotos), the Rüppell's vulture (Gyps rueppellii), followed by all other vultures with the tawny eagle and the bateleur in the second most and the most subordinate scavenger positions.^[104] Therefore, the bateleur is considered a scavenger with high search efficiency but low competitive ability.^{[102][103][104][105]} However, the bateleur does benefit from the larger scavengers, being less able to access a large carcass, at best feeding on the eyes of said carcass unless it is already otherwise torn asunder such as large carnivore prey or roadkills.^[13][103] With the epidemic-level reduction of vultures in Africa, it was found in Maasai Mara that both bateleurs and tawny eagles have been found to actually increase in sighting frequency in sync with the vanishing numbers of remaining vultures, with the number of bateleur sightings increasing by 52%.^[106] To the contrary of the expected hierarchy, cases are known where bateleurs have attacked and dominated much larger scavenging birds including white-backed vultures (Gyps africanus) and bearded vulures (Gypaetus barbatus), with these having been successfully displaced or lost carrion to a bateleur.^[10][6] Even more impressively, cases where bateleurs interacting with much larger, more powerful martial eagles have involved instances where the bateleurs have attacked, pirated and even brought to ground in clashes that appear to end in a drawl. However, the martial eagle occupies a notably higher trophic level than the bateleurs and is not considered subservient to bateleurs due its even greater predatory prowess.^[7][34][78] Similarly, instances of considerable competition have been reported between bateleurs and African fish eagles (Haliaeetus vocifer), which are similarly prone to opportunistic piracy and aggressive interspecific relations. However, the two species are partitioned by habitat and primary prey.^[107]

It is uncommon-to-rare but not unprecedented that bateleurs may prey on other raptors.^[7][108] Bateleurs have been documented preying on black-winged kites (Elanus caeruleus), wintering lesser spotted eagles (Clanga pomarina), gabar goshawks (Micronisus gabar), barn owls (Tyto alba), spotted eagle-owls (Bubo africanus) and peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus).^{[78][83][92][109]} Additionally, they were considered a likely potential predator upon nestlings of the white-backed vulture.^[110] Certainly the most impressive instance of intraguild predation documented as committed by bateleurs is when one was seen killing an adult Verreaux's eagle owl (Bubo lacteus), a formidable top predator among owls and possibly the largest avian prey ever reported for a bateleur.^[7][111] The predators of mature bateleurs themselves are not well-documented and in fact, Verreaux's eagle owls may the only species verified to repeatedly prey upon bateleurs, but this is probably due to rare predator identification at bateleur nests.^[112][113] Bateleurs are usually considered apex predators.^[114] By contrast, bateleur nestlings are vulnerable to predation compared to other raptors. Though adult bateleurs can simply leave the nest or crouch below the nest rim to reduce nest detectability to many predators, they can be very aggressive toward conspecifics as well as other raptors, and occasionally human intruders. However, due to their unique foraging mode which takes them far from the nest for long periods of the day, the physical defense is largely unable. Thus, chicks are presumed to be vulnerable to a huge range of predators although very few are properly identified. Based on other eagles in Africa, these are likely to include various sizes of mammalian carnivores, snakes, monitors and various birds of prey, including even perhaps much smaller species and vultures due to the long periods bateleur eaglets are left unprotected.^{[8][34][100][115]}

Breeding

A probable breeding pair with the female on the left.

Bateleurs are long-lived species, slow-maturing, slow-breeding species,^[60] Bateleurs court each other or re-establish existing pair bonds what is considered, a “spectacular” courtship display.^[10][7] During the courtship display, an exaggerated flight is undertaken, in which the male dives down at the female who rolls to present him her claws. Additionally, he sometimes flies with legs dangling loosely, during which the wings may be flapped to create a conspicuous whup-whup-whup noise like a loose sail in the breeze. Very infrequently, a male bateleur may make a 360 degree lateral roll, accompanied by loud whup-whup noises, at times display may involve 2 males with a single female, but during breeding only one male is usually actively courtship. A further chasing flight reported is not necessarily nuptial and may be performed by birds of the same size and by an adult or an immature and in some cases is linked to the sociality of the species.^{[5][10][7][34][78]} The bateleur is usually rather monogamous and likely, with the survivorship of each mate, mates for life.^[7] However, rare instances of possible polygyny have been reported.^[116] The bateleur breeding season tends to fall from September to May in West Africa, however juveniles have also been recorded in Mauritania in September.^[5][41][117] Reportedly, the nesting season can be virtually any month in East Africa but chiefly is some time around December–August, which also is the corresponding peak breeding time in Southern Africa, with nesting as late as August to October in the southern stretches of the continent considered unusual.^{[5][7][51][52][54][118][119]} In Somalia, the breeding season however fell from July to December while in Ethiopia there was no detectable peak whatsoever.^[46][47]

Nests

A bateleur on its nest.

Nests are located in fairly large trees, sometimes near a watercourse, either in hilly terrain or open flat country. At times, bateleurs are adaptable and perhaps even favor towards nesting near manmade openings such as roads or paths.^[5][10][7] Nests are typically at 10 to 15 m (33 to 49 ft) above the ground but in extreme may be from 7 to 25 m (23 to 82 ft) high.^[5][7] The nest is normally within the canopy in the fork of the main trunk or a large lateral branch so that it is shaded for much of the day.^[7][54] A variety of tree species may be used. In southern Africa, favored trees tend to Adansonia and especially Acacia trees. Senegalia nigrescens trees may too be popular.^[7][54][66] Bateleurs usually nest on structures made by themselves but one nest was reported in on a buffalo weaver nest and was difficult to observe.^[7] Furthermore, old nest of other birds may be used, in one case a Wahlberg's eagle (Hieraaetus wahlbergi) nest taken over and added to deepen it.^[7] The nest is a solid structure of medium-sized sticks, measuring about 60 cm (24 in) across, 30 cm (12 in) deep with a leafy cup of about 25 cm (9.8 in) across. Snake eagles and their kin tend to build relatively small if bulky nests relative to their size and the bateleur is no exception, with their nest size being about half that of in diameter of a similarly-sized eagle like the tawny eagle.^[5][7][84] Nests tend to be lined with green leaves by the bateleur pair.^[5] Both sexes of bateleur are known to contribute to the building or repair of a nest, a process that typically takes about 1–2 months, though sometimes nest construction can be reportedly protracted even in years where no breeding occurs.^[7] They often subsequently use a new nest in the same general area in consecutive breeding seasons, usually not more than 1 to 3 km (0.62 to 1.86 mi) away, and may reuse a nest they built previously. There is much variation in this regard, from 1 nest being used in 5 consecutive years to no nest reusage in 3 recorded years.^[7] Nests built by bateleurs tend to be favored by lanner falcons (Falco biarmicus), probably in part because the eagle's young are fledged by July–August when lanners tend to lay; however 1 nestling was persistently mobbed by a lanner during its last week at the nest.^[7] In ranching country in Zimbabwe, nests are spaced 13 to 16 km (8.1 to 9.9 mi) apart.^[7] In Mozambique, nesting spacing was found to be about 5 km (3.1 mi).^[120]

Eggs and development of young

In this species, only one egg is ever laid.^{[5][7][51][52]} Their eggs are quite large for the size of the bird, being broadly oval and usually an unspotted chalky white but sometimes with a few red stains or indistinct reddish markings, which may be cosmetic from feeding and defecating of the parents. The bateleur’s egg is quite similar in size and coloration to most snake eagles, which also generally lay a single egg.^{[5][10][7][121]} A bateleur egg may measure from 74.2 to 87 mm (2.92 to 3.43 in) in height, with an average of 77.4 mm (3.05 in) in a sample of 24 and 79.1 mm (3.11 in) in a sample of 50, by 57 to 68.1 mm (2.24 to 2.68 in) in diameter, with an average of 62.3 mm (2.45 in) in 24 and 62.7 mm (2.47 in) in 50. The eggs are comparable in size to those of martial and crowned eagles (Stephanoaetus cornatus), eagles of easily up to twice the body size of a bateleur.^{[10][7][34][119]} The female bateleur normally incubates alone, though rarely males are seen to do so as well.^[7][78] The female is fed by the male but takes spells off in which she probably feeds on her own kills and the male may take over incubation, although reports of instances where he may do the majority of incubation are probably inaccurate.^[10][7] While the elastic breeding season suggests an indifference to climatic concerns relative to the wet season and dry season, the bateleur is usually considered an eagle that lays earlier in the year than overlapping eagles.^{[33][122][123]} The incubation stage lasts for 52 to 59 days, averaging about 55 days, and may the longest of any African raptor. Reports of incubation lasting for only 42–43 days are probably erroneous.^{[5][10][7][119]}

The hatchling is highly altricial and very feeble at first, perhaps even more so than most other eagles, being unable to lift its own heavy head and possesses a deeply wrinkled cere.^[10][7] The small eaglet is initially covered in creamy down with a chocolate-brown patch behind the eye that matches the rest of the down colour above with creamy flanks.^[10] At about 2 weeks, the young eaglet becomes somewhat more active and the down develops a patchy appearance.^[7] At 3 weeks, the eaglet has a downy white head but the down colour above is dark brown, with the first brown feathers sprouting on back of head, secondaries and scapulars.^[10] By 4 weeks, they no longer have any white down and brown feathers grow especially the back and wing ones; while a week later, the feathers continue emerge and the secondaries outgrow the primaries. Thence at 7 weeks, the feathering of the foreparts occurs rapidly, being complete by 35 days, but the wing and tail feathers are still growing, the last remaining down being on underwing coverts.^[10][7] The young eaglet resembles those of snake eagles in appearance and feather growth pattern, particularly the retarded growth of the primary feathers, and in general coloring become greyer as the eaglet ages.^[10][7] The nestling may first stand at about 5 weeks as well as engage in wing-flapping.^[10] Pre-independence juveniles may perch or lie in prone position before they can fly well.^[7] The stage at which the young first feeds itself is dictated by what prey is brought; if it is large, the parents will feed the young to 40 days, but small fragments will be eaten unaided by the downy young.^[7] Around 6 weeks is when the eaglet can typically feed itself for the first time.^[10] At 9 weeks, eaglet bateleurs have been recorded doing effective threat displays against humans.^[10] Fledgling typically occurs around 90–125 days with reported extremes at as little as 93 to as much as 194 days.^[5][7] The young often returns to the nest after its first flight and continues to do so. The young bateleurs become independent quickly within about a week in some case and in others remain closely by and dependent on their parents for about 2–4 months. The young bateleurs may follow their parents around in flight until they are fed. Coaxing behaviour by parents has been recorded (keeping away food until they fly to it, perhaps gradually encouraging the young eagle to go farther afield).^[5][10][7] After leaving the nest area, the young bateleurs often wander widely, for example one was recorded to have covered 1,347 km² (520 sq mi).^[7] When soaring near another bateleur nest, young bateleurs are often fiercely attacked by adult males.^[10] There are some reports, even frequent reports it is said, of immature bateleurs staying to help incubate the eggs although generally this presumably rare.^[10][124]

Parental behaviour

When the nest is approached, at times bateleurs will react forcibly, engaging in aggressive barks, sometimes diving down from flight at the intruder with loud flapping wings. When disturbed in this way, however bateleurs very often depart and they will often not return to the nest for up to several hours. Generally, it seem to be more likely than almost any other African eagle to desert their young.^[10][7][78] During the incubation and nestling period, the male is more demonstrative than the female at the nest, sometimes doing the distraction display and regular dive-bomb attacks if the nest tree is climbed, the female more commonly flies away in the distance. Once a lone male baboon climbed a nest tree, the female bateleur sat and incubated while the male dive bombed it. When this failed to drive it off, the male settled on a branch between the baboon and the nest and threatened the monkey with raised wings, the baboon was never dislodged but did not harass the eagles at the nest.^[10][7] Bateleur parents are highly sensitive to breeding from human disturbance, oddly they may permit and adapt to regular inspections of the nest but resent an attempts to hide or conceal photographic equipment nearby and regular desert the nest even with a small nestling, thus nest photography should be avoided.^[10][7][78] The ease with which bateleurs are flushed away from their nest appears to lead to uncommonly high nest predation rates, while many other eagle, including from other parts of the world, either sit tightly on their nest until the danger level becomes too high or attack ferociously at the potential threat.^{[7][100][125]} The nestling is careful tended to by female, as she is at the nest 82% of the time up to the time the eaglet is 10 days in one Kenya study, her attendance thence drops to 47% from 10–20 days, then after 30 days, dropped to about 5% and from 60 days about 1%.^[10][7] When the young is at later stages of maturity, the female tends to only engage in very brief prey deliveries.^[10][7] Both sexes bring prey and feed the young though the male takes a bigger share of this than in many eagles.^[10][7] After 30 days, the eaglet is often left by itself on the nest throughout the night.^[10] The eaglet is fed nearly every day early on but only every 2–3 days later on, especially after leaving the nest.^[10]

Breeding success and failures

It is estimated that the bateleur produces a mean of 0.47 chicks per nest per year.^[126] In East Africa, the bateleur tends not to breed every year and the replacement rate is about 0.5 per annum.^[10] In southern Africa, the bateleur typically breeds every year whether or not they are successful in raising their eaglet.^[7] At 4 nests in Zimbabwe, a replacement rate of 0.81 young per pair per annum, with local figures often being higher where they live more free from human disturbance. It was found that Zimbabwe failures were only known to be from infertile or lost eggs.^[7][34] In Kruger National Park, the predation of Verreaux's eagle-owls may considerably lower nesting success.^[7] Furthermore in Kruger, it was found that 33% of the population of bateleurs were young birds while the remaining 67% were adults, meaning that younger birds are presumably underpopulated.^[69] Elsewhere, even lower numbers, around 25-30%, of the population is young bateleurs.^[10] The population, or at least in southern Africa, seems to be roughly even in terms of sex ratio, with an even number of males and females.^[10][69] In the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, 13 pairs of bateleurs were recorded to produce only 0.33 young per pair. There was evidence of a 13% decline in active nesting territories of bateleurs in the Kalahari Gemsbok area during the seven year study, and at least a 40% decline over the previous 10 years. Vacated nesting territories were not reoccupied by the species. There was found to be seemingly no safe buffer zone around the park, due perhaps to persecution in the adjacent farmlands, when potential mortality of foraging bateleur from the protected park enter these areas, as well as nesting site disturbance, could have been part of the reason for this decline. Poisoned and suspected poisoned bateleurs have been found in the Park during the study period.^[9] The few that survive their early years may expect a mean estimated lifespan of around 12–14 years and in some cases may manage to live as long as 27 years.^[10][6] The annual adult survival rate is estimated at 95%, while the annual juvenile survival rate is estimated at 75%.^[6]

Conservation

A bateleur in "heraldic" pose.

Bateleurs are a wide ranging species but have shown rather strong declines.^[1][5] Per estimates from the 1990s, extrapolated from an average of 150 km² (58 sq mi) per pair, it was projected that the total population could have been around 180,000 birds including young ones.^[5] However, it is likely that the species numbers far lower than that.^[13] Currently, the IUCN estimates broadly from 10,000 to 100,000 total individuals.^[1] The numbers in Southern Africa have shown the most dramatic and drastic known reductions.^[13] At one time, the species numbers at 2000-2500 pairs in the former Transvaal Province alone which was down to around 420 to 470 pairs by the 1990s.^[5][98] More recently it was estimated that there are less than 700 pairs in the entire region of Southern Africa, although that number may be too excessively conservative.^{[13][62][127]} In all the bateleur has declined by an estimated 75% in Southern Africa.^[128] The species is considered threatened in Zimbabwe, Namibia, Eswatini and South Africa and still considered not uncommon but probably declining in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Botswana.^{[51][53][52][56][129][130]} Declines are not endemic to Southern Africa for bateleurs, with declines strongly detected as well in Ivory Coast and Sudan.^[128] Addition countries that have reported strongly declining numbers are in Togo, Niger and Nigeria.^{[40][131][132]} Where bateleurs were once common in road surveys in Central-West Africa, none were detected in newer road surveys from the 2000s in the same areas.^[133] Claims of an increase in potential numbers of bateleur in Uganda are not verified.^[48]

Decline of the species and the reduction in range is suspected to have been moderately rapid over the past three generations. Generally, throughout the range, the bateleur is considered much more common in protected areas.^[13][128] However even in several protected areas, numbers of bateleurs seem to decreasing.^[134][135] The declines of the species are almost entirely due to anthropogenic causes.^[5][13] These include but are not limited to habitat destruction, the poisoning of carcasses, persecution through shooting and possibly pesticide use.^[5][136] Poisoning of carcasses is a major issue for scavenging animals, especially birds like vultures, in Africa.^[137][138] Zambian bateleurs may suffer from deliberate poisonings as well as those in Eswatini, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The bateleur's wide foraging areas and their ability to locate very small pieces of carrion, makes them highly susceptible to poison-laced carcasses even from a small proportion of farmers who use poisons. Bateleurs and other eagles are not usually the direct target of these poisoning operations, which in some cases may be directed to unfavored mammals like jackals or in other cases directed towards vultures by poachers to hide their illegal wildlife killings.^{[13][51][54][62][138]} The decline of South African bateleurs is primarily linked with poisonings, primarily from large-scale farming operations.^{[78][139][140]} It is possible that bateleurs may suffer from the effects of DDT though it is found in a small sample of 3 eggs from South Africa that they evidenced low subcritical levels of DDT metabolites, probably not enough to effect overall populations.^[5][128] However, it is projected that pesticide use may be harming populations in Zambia as well as in Botswana.^[53][51] Ongoing persecution is both serious and unsustainable, beyond poisoning, such killings are known to extent to ongoing shooting and trapping.^[1][13][128] Some trapping occurs of the species for its feathers which are used in medicine by traditional healers for predicting future events^[60] Less well known but probably occurring declines may be due to flying into manmade objects including wire collisions, reservoir drownings and road-killings.^[141] Additionally, shrinking habitat has been found to be a prevalent threat to bateleurs due largely to expanding human settlements and intensifying livestock agriculture.^[13][62] A further effect from humans is regular disturbance at bateleur nests, although not typically as deliberate as many other threats, this is causing the breeding success rates to plummet farther.^[7][13][128] No large scale actions are underway but they are possibly protected in Yemen as an endangered species.^[23] It is proposed to implement education and awareness campaigns across its range to reduce the use of poisoned baits. Regular population monitoring is being carried out.^[142]

Heraldic and mythological status

The bateleur plays a prominent role in African heraldic and mythological cultures probably due to its spectacular colours and conspicuous and bold behaviour.^[10][34] As a result it is likely that the bateleur is the basis for the “Zimbabwe Bird” which has been prominent since ancient times in Zimbabwean culture and continuously used in heraldic forms including most prominently being featured on the Zimbabwe flag.^[143][144] A South African myth was that when bateleurs “cries in flight, the rain will fall”.^[145] The admiration and mythologizing of bateleurs is also known in other areas beyond Zimbabwe, including among those in Southern Africa who speak Tswana language as well as elsewhere dating back to the Iron Age with various with the bateleur variously known as kgwadira and petleke, and may often in mythology may fulfill the role intelligent servant to their masters, which were considered vultures.^[146][147] In East and Central Africa, the bateleur has been referred to variously as gawarakko and nkona and in the Lake Tanganyika was considered an essential possession of sultans whether the birds were dead or alive.^[148][149]

Media

• 

  A Bateleur blinking showing off the nictitating membrane

• 

  Adult
• 

  A female sunwarming in a zoo
• 

  Immature
• A female perched on a gloved hand in Disney's Animal Kingdom
• 

  Female in Texas
• 

  Two juveniles in Botswana
• 

  Skeleton of a bateleur eagle (Museum of Osteology)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Terathopius ecaudatus.

References

La Senvosta serpentaglo (Terathopius ecaudatus) estas mezgranda specio de rabobirdo de la familio de Akcipitredoj kaj grupo de Serpentagloj; pro tio ĝi ricevas tiun nomon kvankam fakte serpentoj ne estas grava parto de ties dieto, malkiel la aliaj membroj de la grupo. Tiu familio inkludas ankaŭ multajn aliajn dumtagajn rabobirdojn kiaj buteoj, milvoj kaj cirkuoj. Ĝi estas la ununura membro de la genro Terathopius kaj probable origino de la Zimbabva Birdo, nacia simbolo de Zimbabvo.

Tiu estas komuna specio de loĝantaj birdoj en malferma savano de Subsahara Afriko. Ili nestas en arboj, kie la ino demetas ununuran ovon kiu estas kovata de la ino dum 42 al 43 tagoj, kun pluaj 90 al 125 tagoj ĝis elnestiĝo. Senvostaj serpentagloj pariĝas porvive, kaj uzas la saman neston por nombro de jaroj. Senparaj birdoj, supozeble el antaŭa ovodemeto foje helpas ĉeneste.

Nematura kaptiva Senvosta serpentaglo

Aspekto

La Senvosta serpentaglo estas brilkolora specio kun tre mallonga vosto (ecaudatus estas latina termino por senvosta) kio faras ĝin nekonfuzebla dumfluge. Maskla plenkreskulo estas 60 al 75 cm longa kun enverguro de 175 cm. Pezo estas 1.8-2.9 kg.^[1] Li havas nigran plumaron escepte pro la helbrunaj dorso kaj vosto, grizaj ŝultroj kaj tre ruĝaj vizaĝa haŭtaĵo, beko kaj kruroj. La subflugiloj estas helgrizaj (arĝentecaj), simila al tiuj de mevoj. Tiuj adaptoj permesas la specion ne esti distingata elgrunde, ĉar la arĝenteca koloro konfuziĝas kun la ĉielfono, dum la pli malhelaj supraj partoj protektas ties korpon el la sunaj radioj.

La ino estas simila al masklo escepte ke ŝi havas grizajn pli ol nigrajn durangajn flugoplumojn. Nematuruloj estas brunaj kun blanka bildo kaj havas verdecan vizaĝan haŭtaĵon; tiuj nematuruloj estas tiom brunaj, ke iam estis konsiderataj specioj diferencaj.^[2] Ili atingas la seksan maturecon post 7 aŭ 8 jaroj.

Disvastiĝo

Tutmonda distribuado

Ĝi estas amplekse distribuata tra la subsahara Afriko. Oni ne konas subspeciojn.^[3]

La Senvosta serpentaglo ricevas en kelkaj lingvoj nomojn rilatajn al vigla flugkapablo kaj manovreblo en aero, superaj al kutimaj inter similaj rabobirdoj. Tamen tiu birdospecio ne estas superpredanto, kaj koncentras sian atenton al malgrandaj predoj. Tiu aglo ĉasas super teritorio de 650 km tage. La predoj de tiu rabobirdo estas ĉefe birdojn, inklude kolombojn kaj pteroklojn, kaj ankaŭ malgrandajn mamulojn; ili manĝas ankaŭ kadavraĵon.

Aliaj nomoj de aliaj lingvoj kiel tiuj devenaj el la franca Bateleur rilatas al ŝnur-dancisto. Tiu nomo aludas al la birda karaktera kutimo pintelirigi la flugilpintoj dumfluge, kvazaŭ serĉante ekvilibron. En kelkaj landoj, for de sia natura distribuado, la Senvosta serpentaglo estas foje konata kiel la "Konifera aglo" aŭ eĉ la "Pina aglo", ĉar ties plumoj iome similas al strobilo kiam ĝi ŝvelas.

La Senvosta serpentaglo estas ĝenerale silentema, sed foje ĝi produktas varion de bojado kaj krioj.

Bildaro

• Plenkreskulo

• Plenkreskulo, Masklo

• Sunbanado ĉe bestoĝardeno

• Nematurulo

• Oni ripoze sur ganta mano ĉe Disney's Animal Kingdom

• Ino en Teksaso

• 
• Du junuloj en Bocvano

Referencoj

• BirdLife International (2009). Terathopius ecaudatus. Internacia Ruĝa Listo de Endanĝeritaj Specioj, eldono de 2010, versio 2010.1. IUCN 2010. Elŝutita 1 Aprilo 2010.
• Barlow, Wacher kaj Disley Birds of The Gambia ISBN 1-873403-32-1

Portalo pri Birdoj

El águila volatinera^[1]​ (Terathopius ecaudatus) es una especie de ave accipitriforme de la familia Accipitridae, la única del género Terathopius. Está ampliamente distribuida por el África subsahariana. No se reconocen subespecies.^[2]​

El águila volatinera recibe su nombre debido a sus excepcionales capacidades de vuelo y de maniobrar en el aire, superiores a las normales entre las rapaces que vuelan a cielo abierto. Sin embargo, no es un superpredador, ya que centra su atención en presas más pequeñas.

Tiene un aspecto inconfundible, debido a su aspecto romo y masivo, pero con un plumaje oscuro y su cabeza y garras adornadas con tonos rojos vivos en patas y cara, mientras que el cuerpo es de un profundo color pizarra de tono azulado; el reverso de las alas es de color gris plateado, similar al de las gaviotas. Estas adaptaciones permiten a la especie no ser distinguida desde el suelo, ya que el color plateado de su parte baja se confunde con el fondo del cielo, mientras que las partes oscuras protegen su cuerpo de los rayos solares. Por el contrario, los inmaduros son de un profundo color castaño, lo que en el pasado hizo creer que eran especies diferentes.^[3]​

Pertenece a la subfamilia Circaetinae y está emparentada con la culebrera europea.

Referencias

Arrano akrobata (Terathopius ecaudatus) Terathopius generoko animalia da. Hegaztien barruko Accipitridae familian sailkatuta dago.

Erreferentziak

• World Bird Names

Ikus, gainera

• Terathopius
• Accipitridae

Liitokotka (Terathopius ecaudatus) on afrikkalainen kotkalaji.

Koko ja ulkonäkö

Linnun pituus on 80–85 senttiä, siipien kärkiväli 170–180 senttiä ja paino 2–3 kiloa. Kooltaan se on maakotkan luokkaa, mutta on hyvin lyhytpyrstöinen, pitkäsiipinen ja isopäinen. Vanhat linnut ovat kolmivärisiä: pääosa puvusta on musta, siivillä on laajat hopeanvalkoiset kuviot ja keskiselkä, koivet sekä nokka ja kalju naama ovat punertavat. Naaraan siivellä on enemmän ruskeaa kuin mustaa. Nuori lintu on kauttaaltaan ruskea. Liitokotka elää enimmäkseen ilmassa, sillä se lentää päivän aikana kahdeksan-yhdeksän tuntia ja kulkee päivässä 300–500 kilometriä.

Levinneisyys ja elinympäristö

Liitokotkat elävät Afrikassa Saharan eteläpuolella Senegalista Sudaniin ja Somaliaan ja sieltä eteläiseen Afrikkaan Oranjejoelle ja Kapmaahan saakka. Lajin elinympäristön ala on yli 10 miljoonaa neliökilometriä, ja maailman populaation koko on 10 000–100 000 yksilöä. Laji on pääasiassa paikkalintu, mutta se vierailee ilmeisen säännöllisesti Punaisenmeren takana Arabian niemimaalla. Euroopassa tavatut liitokotkat on tulkittu tarhakarkulaisiksi.

Liitokotkille kelpaavat lähes kaikki maastotyypit niin autiomaista, metsistä, vuoristosta kuin ihmisasutuksen tuntumastakin. Vuoristossa niitä tavataan neljän kilometrin korkeudelle saakka. Niitä tavataan myös rannikoilla ja vesistöjen äärellä.

Lisääntyminen

Laji muodostaa elinikäisen parisuhteen. Pesä on puussa, usein lähellä tietä tai rautatietä, ja se on käytössä useita vuosia. Laji ei piittaa ihmisistä muuten kuin siinä tapauksessa, että pesäpuuhun kiivetään tai se muuten kokee itsensä uhatuksi. Naaras munii yhden munan, jota se hautoo 42–43 päivää. Poikaset ovat lentokykyisiä 3–4 kuukauden ikäisinä.

Ravinto

Liitokotkat saalistavat enimmäkseen keskikokoisia lintuja, kuten kyyhkyjä ja hietakyyhkyjä, sekä nisäkkäitä. Ne syövät myös raatoja.

Lähteet

• Cramp, Stanley (päätoim.) 1980: Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Vol. II. – Oxford University Press. Hongkong.

Viitteet

Terathopius ecaudatus

Le Bateleur des savanes (Terathopius ecaudatus) est une espèce de rapaces diurnes appartenant à la famille des Accipitridae. Il est probablement à l'origine de l'oiseau Zimbabwe.

Bateleur des savanes au Bénin

Gros plan

Lodda (fræðiheiti: Terathopius ecaudatus) er meðalstór örn af Accipitridae-ættinni. Loddan er eini fuglinn af ættkvíslinni Terathopius og að öllum líkindum fyrirmyndin að „Simbabve-fuglinum“ sem er þjóðartákn Simbabve.

Þessi fuglagrein er stubbur. Þú getur hjálpað til með því að bæta við greinina.

Il falco giocoliere (Terathopius ecaudatus (Daudin, 1800)) è un uccello rapace di medie dimensioni appartenente alla famiglia Accipitridae. È l'unica specie del genere Terathopius.^[2]

Probabilmente è l'origine dell'"uccello dello Zimbabwe", emblema nazionale dello Zimbabwe.

Il suo nome in francese (bateleur, ripreso anche dall'inglese) descrive la sua caratteristica abitudine di battere le estremità delle ali mentre vola, come per cercare il bilanciamento.

In alcuni paesi, il falco giocoliere è talvolta noto come "aquila delle conifere" o anche "aquila dei pini", dal momento che le sue piume somigliano talvolta allo strobilo quando le agita.

Descrizione

Si tratta di una specie dalla coda estremamente corta (ecaudatus in latino significa "senza coda") che lo rende inconfondibile in volo. Il maschio adulto è lungo dai 60 ai 75 cm con un'apertura alare di 175 cm. Ha un piumaggio nero, eccezion fatta per il manto e la coda castagna, le ali grigie, la pelle della faccia, il becco e le zampe rosse.

La femmina è simile al maschio tranne per le piume alari secondarie, tendenti più al grigio che al nero. I piccoli sono marroni con macchie bianche e hanno la pelle facciale verdastra. Impiegano sette o otto anni per raggiungere la piena maturità.

Distribuzione e habitat

È diffuso in gran parte dell'Africa, dal Senegal a ovest fino alla Somalia a est arrivando fino alla fascia settentrionale del Sudafrica. Vive praticamente ovunque nelle regioni a sud del Sahara ad eccezione del bacino del Congo. I coloni provenienti dall'Europa, che si recarono in Africa all'epoca degli imperi coloniali, perseguitarono pesantemente il rapace, usando tanto i fucili che i bocconi avvelenati. Gli erano imputati praticamente tutti i furti di bestiame. Vive particolarmente nelle savane, ai margini delle foreste, sulle coste e anche sulle vette montane oltre i 4000 metri.

Biologia

Alimentazione

La preda di questo rapace è costituita prevalentemente da uccelli, soprattutto colombidi e pteroclidi, e anche piccoli mammiferi. Occasionalmente non disdegna le carcasse.

Riproduzione

Nidifica sugli alberi, deponendo un solo uovo che è covato per 42 o 43 giorni dalla femmina, che si cura poi dei piccoli per 90-125 giorni finché non sono in grado di volare. I falchi giocolieri sono monogami e utilizzano lo stesso nido per vari anni. Gli uccelli non accoppiati aiutano talvolta al nido.

Verso

Il falco giocoliere è solitamente silenzioso.

Galleria d'immagini

• Adulto

• Adulto, probabilmente femmina

• Adulto mentre "prende il sole" in uno zoo

• Un piccolo

Note

Bibliografia

• Barlow, Wacher and Disley Birds of The Gambia ISBN 1-873403-32-1

Akrobātērglis (Terathopius ecaudatus) ir vidēja auguma vanagu dzimtas (Accipitridae) plēsīgais putns, kas sastopams Āfrikā un nelielā teritorijā Arābijas pussalā. Tā ir vienīgā suga akrobātērgļu ģintī (Terathopius), un putna tuvākie radinieki ir čūskērgļi. Akrobātērglis ir Zimbabves nacionālais putns, kas attēlots valsts ģerbonī.^[1]

Izplatība

Pēdējos gados ir samazinājusies sugas populācija

Akrobātērglis ir ļoti krāsains putns ar kastaņbrūnu muguras "mantiju"

Akrobātērglis ir plaši izplatīta plēsīgo putnu suga Subsahāras Āfrikā, tas mājo gan savannā, gan sausos mežos un krūmājos līdz 4500 metriem virs jūras līmeņa.^[2] Ērglis sastopams arī Arābijas dienvidrietumos.

Neskatoties uz lielo izplatības areālu, sugas populācija 21. gadsimta sākumā strauji samazinājās. To skaidro ar dabas piesārņojumu un lauksaimniecības pesticīdu aktīvu izmantošanu, kā arī ligzdošanas vietu traucējumiem.^[3][4] 2009. gadā saskaņā ar Starptautiskās dabas un dabas resursu aizsardzības savienības datiem akrobātērglis ieguva gandrīz apdraudētas (angļu: near threatened) sugas statusu. Pēdējo gadu sugas stāvoklis nav zināms, un kopējā populācija ir apmēram 10 000—100 000 īpatņu.^[4]

Izskats

Akrobātērglis ir vidēji liels plēsīgais putns ar ļoti īsu asti, kura kopā ar īpaši garajiem spārniem, kas no apakšas ir balti, ļauj putnu ļoti viegli atpazīt lidojumā.^[5] Aste ir tik īsa, ka kājas lidojumā ir garākas par to.^[6] Ķermeņa garums ir 55—70 cm, spārnu izplētums apmēram 187 cm, svars 1,8—2,9 kg.^[2][7]

Akrobātērglis ir ļoti krāsains putns ar kastaņbrūnu muguras "mantiju" un asti, melnu ķermeņa, kakla un galvas apspalvojumu, oranžsarkanu sejas ādu, sarkanām kājām un dzeltenu knābi ar melnu galu. Sugai raksturīgs dzimumu dimorfisms — mātītes ir lielākas nekā tēviņi, kā arī mātītes spārnu virspuses jeb pleci ir gaiši brūni, bet sekundārās lidspalvas gaiši pelēkas ar melniem galiem, tēviņa pleci ir gaiši pelēki, sekundārās lidspalvas melnas.^[2][6] Reizēm sastopami īpatņi ar baltu mantiju.^[8]

Jaunie putni ir vienkrāsaini brūni ar baltu raibumojumu. Ļoti jauniem putniem uz sejas nav kailās ādas laukuma. Tas veidojas lēnām un iesākumā ir zaļgani dzeltens.^[5] Tipisko pieaugušā putna izskatu akrobātērglis iegūst 7—8 gadu vecumā, sasniedzot dzimumbriedumu.^[5]

Uzvedība

Akrobātērglis ir aktīvs dienas laikā. Tā medību teritorija ir apmēram 200 km² liela,^[2] kuru tas dienas laikā aplido, pieveicot apmēram 500 km.^[5] Lielāko dienas daļu akrobātērglis pavada lidojot, visbiežāk, salīdzinoši ar citiem plēsīgajiem putniem, zemā planējumā,^[9] apmēram 45 m virs zemes.^[2] Putnam ir raksturīgi planējot grozīt spārnus, tādējādi uzķerot gaisa strāvas un noturot līdzsvaru.^[5] Ja akrobātērglis pamana kādas pazīmes par medījumu, tas sāk rūpīgi, spirālveidā pārmeklēt iespējamo medījuma vietu. Atpūtas brīžos putnu var novērot sēžam uz kāda zara ar paplestiem spārniem, tos sildot saulē. Putns kopumā ir kluss un ļoti retos gadījumos kliedz, turklāt tas galvenokārt notiek riesta laikā.^[5]

Barība

Akrobātērglis dienā lido 8—9 stundas

Akrobātērglis piemērojies maitas ēšanai un bieži pārbauda ceļus, uzlasot automašīnu notriektos dzīvniekus.^[5] Tas medī arī dzīvu medījumu: dažādus sīkus zīdītājus, sākot ar ciršļiem un beizot ar nelielām antilopēm; putnus, piemēram, baložus, strazdus, degunragputnus un smilširbes; rāpuļus un kukaiņus.^[5] Akrobātērglis ir viens no plēsīgajiem putniem, kuram ēšanas laikā no nāsīm izdalās sāļš šķidrums. To skaidro ar papildu ūdens uzņemšanu, izdalot sāļus.^[10]

Ligzdošana

Ligzdošanas sezona atkarībā no ģeogrāfiskās vietas notiek dažādos laikos, kopumā visa gada garumā.^[5] Akrobātērgļi veido monogāmus pārus uz mūžu. Riesta laikā tēviņš ap mātīti veic iespaidīgu lidojumu ar ļoti skaļām spārnu vēdām, izpildot dažādus akrobātiskus manevrus, un, atrodoties virs mātītes, strauji pikē no augšas uz leju.^[5][6] Pāris nodibina savu ligzdošanas teritoriju, kuru aizsargā no citiem akrobātērgļiem. Kokā, kas bieži atrodas upes tuvumā, no zariem tiek būvēta stingra, labi nostiprināta ligzda, kura tiek izmantota atkārtoti. No iekšpuses ligzda tiek izklāta ar lapām.^[2][5] Tās lielums ir 45—100 cm platumā un 20—100 cm augstumā.^[2]

Dējumā ir viena ola. Perē tikai mātīte, bet tēviņš apsargā ligzdu un pienes barību. Inkubācijas periods ilgst 52—59 dienas.^[5][6] Par mazuli rūpējas abi vecāki. Jaunais putns sāk lidot 93—194 dienu vecumā, bet tas paliek kopā ar vecākiem vēl vairākus mēnešus, līdz tiek padzīts.^[5] Reizēm jaunie putni, kas nav sasnieguši dzimumbriedumu, uzturas vecāku ligzdošanas vietas areālā. Vecāki tos pacieš, tā kā jaunie putni palīdz aizsargāt teritoriju no svešiniekiem.^[2][6]

Atsauces

De bateleur of goochelaar, berghaan (Terathopius ecaudatus) is een havikachtige uit het geslacht Terathopius en tevens de enige soort uit dit geslacht.

Kenmerken

Deze kleurrijke vogel heeft een zwarte romp en kop, een roodbruine rugmantel en een naakt, rood of oranje gelaat. Bij bateleur is een duidelijk verschil te zien tussen de vrouwtjes en mannetjes. Vrouwtjes hebben grijze schouders en witte, zwartgezoomde armpennen. De buitenste slagpennen van het mannetje zijn veel donkerder dan die van het vrouwtje. De vleugels zijn lang en puntig en de staart is kort. Een volwassen mannetje kan 60 tot 70 cm lang en 2 tot 3 kg zwaar worden en een spanwijdte van 175 cm bereiken. De vleugels zijn zwart, behalve de kastanjebruine rug en staart, grijze schouders en rood gezicht en poten.

Leefwijze

De bateleur wordt ook in het Frans en Engels zo genoemd. Deze naam heeft de bateleur te danken aan zijn manier van vliegen. Bateleur betekent koorddanser. Net zoals een koorddanser die met zijn armen heen en weer gaat om zijn balans te vinden, beweegt deze roofvogel tijdens het vliegen zonder dat hij de vleugels beweegt. Deze vogel is vooral een aaseter, maar jaagt ook op kleine gewervelden en insecten. Bij het uitvliegen van termieten gaan ze er met grote groepen op af.

Voortplanting

Het nestelen gebeurt in acacia's, waarbij één ei gelegd wordt. Dit ei komt na 42 tot 43 dagen uit, waarna nog 90 tot 125 dagen verstrijken voordat het jong kan vliegen. Bateleurs paren voor het leven en gebruiken nooit meerdere malen hetzelfde nest. Hoewel de meeste havikachtige roofvogels territoriaal zijn, leven de bateleurs in kleine groepen.

Verspreiding en leefgebied

De bateleur komt voor in de savannes in een groot deel van Afrika ten zuiden van de Sahara tot aan Zuid-Afrika.