Dave Taylor's African Safari: Trophic Level IV: Large Carnivores - Bateleur

Trophic Level IV: Large Carnivores
Bateleur
Page 4

Terathopius ecaudatus

Length: 60 cm (24")

Status: Still common in large game parks and uninhabited areas but declining near cities and towns.

Habitat: Bateleurs are found below 3 000 meters (9,840 feet) altitude. They like dry open country, open bush and woodlands.

Food: Bateleurs eat a variety of prey including guineafowl, hares, dikdik, bustards, doves, rollers, monitor lizards, insects and carrion. They will fly as many as 400 kilometers (250 miles) a day as they search for food. Ever alert for movement, the bateleur will spot the movement of a roller or shrike as they fly off their perches to grab an insect. As a result, a large part of this eagle's diet is made up of birds like these.

Agama lizards foolish enough to run across exposed rocks on their kopje also wind up in this bird's diet.

Bateleurs are extremely adept at finding carrion. Up to two thirds of their diet in some areas consists of carrion.

They are fast fliers and can reach speeds of 50 to 60 kilometers per hour (30 to 40 mph). They take advantage of thermals and must wait for the ground to heat up. As a result, they are found in roosts early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

Social System/Behavior: Pairs of bateleurs occupy territories that can range in size from 20 to 30 square kilometers (8 to 12 square miles) or larger depending on the availability of food. In the center of this territory, the pair make a large stick nest hidden in the canopy of a thorn tree.

These eagles have the longest nesting season of any African eagle. The female lays a single egg. Both the male and the female incubate it for about 55 days. The chick remains in the nest for 101 to 194 days. In total, the eagles are nest-bound for at least six months.

The chick will not be fully mature until it is seven years old.

Predators: Very few predators prey on this eagle. However, martial eagles and eagle owls will take the odd one.

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