Black-chested Snake-eagle

Taxobox
name = Black-chested Snake-Eagle
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1

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image_width = 250px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Falconiformes
familia = Accipitridae
subfamilia = Circaetinae
genus = "Circaetus"
species = "C. pectoralis"
binomial = "Circaetus pectoralis"
binomial_authority = ( A. Smith, 1829)

The Black-chested Snake-eagle ("Circaetus pectoralis") is a large African bird of prey of the Accipitridae family. It resembles other Snake-eagles and was once believed to be conspecific with the Short-toed Eagle and Beaudouin's Snake-eagle.

The main identification character of this bird is its dark brown head and chest to which it owes its name. In flight the dark head contrasts with the underparts and underwings, which are white apart from dark barring on the flight feathers and tail. The upperparts are dark brown, and the eye is yellow.

The female is similar to, but larger than the male, and the juvenile is rufous.

The call is a whistled "kwo kwo kwo kweeoo".

This species can be found throughout southern Africa from Ethiopia and Sudan in the north, to South Africa in the south and Angola in the south west.

It inhabits different habitats, providing it can find open terrain to hunt on, trees to perch and nest in, and sufficient food supply. This includes semi-arid or even desert areas.

As its name indicates, this bird feeds mostly on snakes, but will also prey on lizards, small mammals and frogs.

The female will lay only one egg per clutch, which is incubated for 50 days. The chick leaves the nest after 3 months.

Due to its wide distribution this species is not endangered.

References

*
* Brown, Leslie and Dean Amadon(1968)."Eagles, Hawks and Falcons of the World" vol.1, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.
*Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey and Warwick Tarboton, "SASOL Birds of Southern Africa" (Struik 2002) ISBN 1-86872-721-1