Here’s a mean looking eagle and he’s only a juvenile! This young bird of prey, probably around 5 years old, is a Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) and whilst in Tanzania last year I was fortunate to spot him and on a couple of occasions a pair of smart looking adults (see Tz Raptors) also. Bateleur’s are endemic to Africa and, for an eagle, have rather short tails, but broad wings. Like most raptors, these birds will eat smaller birds, small animals, are partial to snakes and are often one of the first species to arrive at a carcass. They get their name, which is French for ‘tumbler’ (as in acrobat), having first been observed performing aerobatics and summersaults whilst on the wing.
