Crowned Eagle

Crowned Eagle

The Crowned Eagle, also called the African Crowned Eagle, is one of the most powerful forest raptors in the world relative to its size, specializing in hunting monkeys and other mid-sized mammals beneath the dense canopy of African rainforest. Its short, broad wings and long, strongly banded tail give it exceptional maneuverability in confined forest spaces, unlike the long-winged soaring build of open-country eagles.

Its bold rufous-and-black underparts and prominent tail banding make shed feathers relatively easy to distinguish from other African raptors once seen close up.

Identifying Crowned Eagle Feathers

• Primaries/secondaries: broad and rounded rather than long and pointed, dark grey-brown above, strongly barred below in blackish bands against a paler rufous-buff ground.
• Tail feathers: long and broad with bold, wide black-and-grey-white bands, among the most strikingly barred tail feathers of any African raptor.
• Body feathers: breast and belly feathers are rich rufous-orange with bold blackish barring and spotting, quite different from the plain grey upperpart feathers.
• Crest feathers: short, pointed feathers from the crown, often with dark tips, used for the bird's small double crest.
• The rich rufous ground color with heavy black barring on both body and tail feathers is diagnostic and unlike the paler or plainer patterns of most sympatric raptors.

Plumage

Adults show dark slate-grey to blackish upperparts and head, with a small double crest, and rich rufous-orange underparts heavily barred and spotted with black; the tail is boldly banded black and greyish-white. Juveniles are largely white below with fine dark markings, taking several years to acquire the full rufous adult barring. Sexes are similar, females larger. Being a large raptor, molt is gradual and protracted.

Habitat & Range

Resident across tropical rainforest, forest edge, and some wooded savanna mosaics of sub-Saharan Africa, from West Africa through the Congo Basin to parts of East and southern Africa. Non-migratory, holding large forest territories year-round.

Behavior & Field Notes

An ambush predator of the forest canopy and understory, the Crowned Eagle takes monkeys, small antelope, and other mid-sized vertebrates using powerful feet and short, agile wings suited to maneuvering among trees. Nests are enormous stick structures built high in large forest trees. Its loud, far-carrying call is often heard before the bird is seen. A boldly rufous-and-black barred feather found on a forest floor in its African range is a strong sign of this species, quite unlike the plainer feathers of open-country raptors.