Circaetus beaudouini
The Beaudouin's Snake Eagle, *Circaetus beaudouini*, is a striking medium-sized raptor endemic to West and Central Africa, revered for its specialized diet and impressive hunting prowess. Adults typically measure 56-60 cm in length with an expansive wingspan of approximately 170 cm, weighing between 1.2 to 2.3 kg. Its plumage is characterized by dark brown upperparts and a contrasting pristine white belly, making it distinctive in flight. Key field marks include a dark grey-brown head, bright...
Found in open woodlands, savannas, and cultivated areas with scattered trees, often near water bodies, at low to moderate elevations.
Primarily ophiophagous, feeding almost exclusively on snakes, but will also take lizards, frogs, and occasionally small mammals or large insects.
This diurnal raptor spends much of its day soaring high on thermals or patiently perched, scanning for prey. Its primary hunting strategy involves a powerful, controlled drop from a soaring height or a rapid descent from a perch to snatch unsuspecting snakes, often dispatching them with a crushin...
The Beaudouin's Snake Eagle is primarily distributed across the savannas and open woodlands of West and Central Africa. Its breeding range extends from Senegal and The Gambia eastward through Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria, continuing ...
Vulnerable
- Beaudouin's Snake Eagle is a highly specialized predator, with snakes comprising the vast majority of its diet, a feat few raptors can match. - They are known to drop from heights of over 100 meters directly onto their serpentine prey, relying on precision and power. - Despite their diet, they ...