today's a real cool one - this is the crowned eagle! not too often we get a raptor! also called the African crowned eagle or the crowned hawk-eagle, this big ol critter is a resident of subSaharan Africa, excluding the southwest and the Horn. it's the fifth largest living eagle in the world, reaching up to a meter in length (around 3 feet) with wingspans in excess of 1.7 meters (5.5 feet)! their name comes from their prominent crest, which honestly looks a little silly when it's raised. juveniles bear strikingly different plumage coloration, being largely cream-colored in contrast to the adults' rich brown.
a forest dweller; often found near rivers, as they offer both the denser woodland these critters prefer and an abundance of their favorite prey. they don't migrate, keeping largely to a single area for most of their lives. these areas are selected as juveniles, who travel far from their parents' nest to seek out a home of their own. well, after due time, of course - these critters mature very slowly, and birds stay with their parents for sometimes the better part of a year! as such, pairs will breed every other year, rather than annually.
within an eagle's territory, it often has favorite perches, usually concealed by the environment, upon which it will rest and wait for any tasty snacks to present themselves. their diet consists of mid-sized vertebrates, being especially fond of monkeys. capable of downing impressively large prey, and as such, they're considered the strongest eagle native to Africa. rather adaptable, given the changing contemporary environment; they feed on a wide variety of prey and are willing to nest in invasive trees. during the beginning of the breeding season, they partake in display flights, in which they make a loud, piercing series of repeated, monotonous calls; needless to say, this is the time of year that they're by far the most visible.
13 July 2026
