Birds · Accipitriformes · Accipitridae

Crowned Eagle

Stephanoaetus coronatus

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The African crowned eagle is the most powerful raptor in Africa relative to its size and a specialised hunter of primates. It has short, extraordinarily robust legs and enormous talons with which it brings down monkeys, small duikers and hyraxes that can weigh several times its own weight. It raises a single chick every two years, with a period of parental dependence of almost a year, one of the slowest breeding cycles of any raptor.

Weight

2.5 kg – 4.7 kg

Size

80 cm – 99 cm

Lifespan

30 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

SavannaRainforestMountainCarnivore Diurnal In pairs Near Threatened Bird Savanna Rainforest Mountain

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Fun facts

GeneralIt hunts monkeys in the canopy and cuts up its kill to carry it away.
It is able to kill prey of more than twenty kilos, four or five times its own weight, thanks to hind talons of more than five centimetres and a disproportionate grip strength.
The famous Taung Child, an Australopithecus skull almost three million years old, has talon marks in the eye sockets consistent with those of a crowned eagle: our ancestors were on its menu too.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Rainforest, gallery forest and dense montane forest of sub-Saharan Africa
Sexual maturity: 5 years
Gestation / incubation: 49 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowned_eagle