The crowned eagle is also known as the African crowned eagle or the crowned hawk eagle. It is considered a large bird of prey found in Sub-Saharan Africa and a few other locations in South America.
Trapping, shooting, and nest destruction threaten this particular eagle species. In addition, they often face competition for prey from humans and habitat loss.
The crowned eagle symbolizes honesty, truth, majesty, strength, courage, wisdom, power, and freedom. Many believe it has a special connection to God.
Read on for information about the crowned eagle, including its characteristics, diet, habitat, and facts you may not have known previously.
Crowned Eagle Stats
- Status: Near Threatened
- Known as: Crowned Eagle, Crowned Solitary Eagle
- Scientific Name: stephanoaetus coronatus
- Estimated numbers left in the wild: 5,000 to 50,000 and currently decreasing
Description of Crowned Eagle
Crowned eagles are large predatory birds with slate grey feathers and a visible crest. When measuring the crowned eagle size, you will find that these birds are 31 to 30 inches long.
A male crowned eagle’s size is typically between 7.1 and 10 pounds, while the female eagle weighs around 5.6 to 9.1 pounds. The crowned eagle’s wingspan is 5 to 5.9 feet.
The tail of this eagle species is striped boldly in black and white, though juveniles are duller and have plumage that includes quite a bit of brown. Adult eagles have a dark brown head and long crest feathers tipped in white.
You will also see a cream-colored or reddish breast with black bars. The wings are black on top and reddish underneath.
Crowned Eagle vs Harpy Eagle
When comparing the African crowned eagle and the Harpy eagle, you will find several notable differences. The African crowned eagle is considered a large and powerful bird of prey. The Harpy eagle is also large in stature; some have even compared this bird species to a Pokemon because of its appearance.
Also known as the American Harpy Eagle or Brazilian Harpy Eagle, it is a neotropical eagle species and is a powerful raptor that can handle heavier prey. You will likely come across the New Guinea Harpy Eagle when learning about Harpy eagles. It is another large bird of prey endemic to the tropical rainforests of New Guinea.
The Harpy eagle is considered the largest eagle globally, but the crowned eagle is the most powerful. The Harpy eagle looks serious and goofy and is found in rainforests around the globe. The crowned eagle’s most suitable habitat is limited to the eastern areas of South Africa.
The wingspan of the Harpy eagle is also shorter and stubbier than that of a crowned eagle. The Harpy actively hunts as a carnivore, and its main prey animals include tree-dwelling mammals like the sloth, monkeys, porcupines, anteaters, and opossums.
When comparing a crowned eagle nest to a Harpy nest, you will find that its construction differs depending on the habitat. The crowned eagle nest is similar to a Harpy nest as they are both considered burrow types.
The Harpy picks the highest point of a tree for its nest. In contrast, the crowned eagle nest is often located in a developed area with abundant larger prey. There is mature vegetation nearby to facilitate nest-building and hunting activities.
See Related: Most Interesting Birds in the World
Diet of the Crowned Eagle
Crowned eagles’ habits differ from those of many other eagles, including their apparent habit of being most active at dawn and dusk. Though crepuscular, it is sometimes active during daylight hours, although it appears sluggish during the day much of the time.
Crowned eagles eat poisonous snakes and other snakes and large lizards as some of the mainstays of their diet, with mammals making up another major portion of their prey. Armadillos, monkeys, weasels, rodents, small antelope, and skunks are frequent prey animals of this large bird.
Birds are taken infrequently, with tinamou and monk parakeets being observed as prey items, though domestic poultry is sometimes taken. The birds favor dry, open woodland and various grassland as long as some trees are available for nesting.
Habit
Crowned eagles live in forests, mountains, and grasslands in southeastern and Central Africa. They are the most powerful eagles in Africa and may hunt and live in pairs. These crowned eagle pairs were built to fly amongst the trees with short and broad wings and a long tail that helps guide them.
When showing territorial displays, the crowned eagle pairs will perform a series of steep dives and ascents, figure eights, and wing flaps at the top of their climb. While doing this, the male crowned eagle is noisy. He utters shrill screams while throwing his head back. The adult female may also engage in these display flights, but her vocalization is much lower.
The adult crowned eagle also blends well in dense and shaded forest habits, making it difficult to spot them when they are perched. They are most often seen soaring about the forest canopy. Since they are also considered territorial birds, they do not migrate.
Breeding and Mating Habits
The crowned eagle pairs build a large, conspicuous nest out of sticks, with the platform typically measuring 1.2 meters in diameter.
Reproduction is slow, with only one egg laid during each breeding cycle. The exact timing of breeding and its specific details are uncertain, though eggs were present in some crowned eagle nests during an October survey, and young eagles were seen in the same nests the following May.
The crowned eagle remains relatively little studied due to its sparse population and remote location.
The crowned eagle is monogamous and mates for life. A pair of eagles will typically breed once every two years or so. Their egg-laying times are often between July and November.
The female crowned eagle gathers the nesting material, while the male crowned eagle is more involved in constructing the nest. While the female is incubating, the male will bring food every three to five days.
If the female lays two eggs, the younger two typically die of starvation because it is outcompeted for food, or the older sibling kills the younger eagle.
The first feathers appear in 40 days. Once the young fledge is around 40 days old, it can feed itself; however, it is often still fed by the mother at this point. The young eaglet then remains in the care of the parents for another 11 months. They reach breeding maturity at around five years of age.
Location of the Crowned Eagle
Most crowned eagles live in Africa’s dense woodland forests and rainforests, and they are also found in Africa’s savannahs. They live from coast to coast across the central portion of Africa and, if you travel further south, on the eastern side of the continent.
These birds of prey were built to fly among the trees. The crowned eagle’s distribution also extends from southern Brazil to northern Patagonia in Argentina.
Other Crowned Eagle Facts
Here are more facts about the crowned eagle you should know if you want to learn more about this large, predatory bird.
- Crowned eagles are very large and are considered the 9th heaviest living eagle species
- They are massive and fierce hunters that are also considered ferocious
- They are well-known for their spectacular feather displays
- It has been found that a crowned eagle can lift more than its own body weight in flight
- There have been discoveries of what to appear to be human skulls in their nesting sites, which spurred recorded instances of the bird taking off with children. It is the only living bird known to regard humans as large prey
Conservation Status
The current conservation status of the crowned eagle is Near Threatened. According to estimates, the number of crowned eagles left is less than 10,000 birds, which continues to decrease.
Threats
Despite its extensive range, habitat destruction is the biggest threat to the crowned eagle today. Cattle ranching degrades the raptor’s habitat, especially the intensive type that is becoming common in South America today.
Invasive grass species, mechanized agriculture, and pesticides also take their toll. The birds are also persecuted to some extent, at least in some countries.
For example, dozens are known to have been shot in Argentina in recent years, while nests are sometimes deliberately disturbed or destroyed outright. A few of these large birds are also captured each year to be sold illegally as exotic pets.
Related Reading: Philippine Eagle: Species Overview, Conservation, and Threats
Conservation Efforts
Argentina and Paraguay have protected this bird, though enforcement is always problematic. Hunting these birds is also illegal in Brazil.
Some conservation organizations are working to establish ecological corridors in critical regions to lessen habitat fragmentation. Well-organized education initiatives also teach ranchers that eagles eat dangerous snakes and do not harm calves.
Organizations
The Peregrine Fund
The Peregrine Fund aims to reverse the current decline in the eagle population by conducting research and educating children from rural communities and farmers.
Zoo Conservation Outreach Group
The Zoo Conservation Outreach Group is helping by seeking funding to support the rescue, rehabilitation, reintroduction, and monitoring of crowned eagles in Argentina.
Crowned Eagle FAQ
Let’s look at the answers to some more commonly asked questions regarding the crowned eagle species.
What do you call a baby-crowned eagle?
A baby-crowned eagle is often called an eaglet or young fledge. A bird is considered a young fledge when the feathers and wing muscles are developed enough for flight. If the bird has recently fledged but still depends on its parents for care and feeding, it is called a fledgling.
What class of animal does a crowned eagle belong to?
The crowned eagle is in the bird class and part of the Accipitridae family. It is considered the most powerful bird living in Africa.
How long does a crowned eagle live?
A crowned eagle can live up to 14 years.
What does the African crowned eagle sound like?
The sound of the crowned eagle in flight is described as a wheeee-yooo, wheeee-yooo, wheeee-yooo sound that draws attention.
How strong is an African crowned eagle?
Considered the most powerful bird in Africa, the crowned eagle can kill animals that weigh up to 44 pounds. Its long talons break the prey’s spine. To hunt, they sit in a tree that overlooks a watering hole or clearing, and then they drop in on their prey.
How fast can a crowned eagle fly?
When going for prey, a crowned eagle can swoop in at around 100 mph while still being able to brake within 20 feet of its prey. The bird uses its wings to push against the air currents and slow down.
What is the largest extant species of eagle?
The Harpy eagle is considered the largest extant species of eagle in the world. The Philippine Eagle is the largest eagle in the world, both in terms of length and wing surface. Regarding weight, the Harpy eagle and Steller’s sea eagle are the largest birds.
What does a juvenile crowned eagle look like?
A juvenile crowned eagle looks different than an adult crowned eagle. It has the appearance of light gray and brown feathers on its back. Its wings are edged with white, which makes the bird appear to have scales. You will also find white on the juvenile crowned eagle’s head, breast, and belly and gray bars on its tail feathers.
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