The+Crowned+Eagle

Crowned Eagle - Haley Watson

The crowned eagle, which is also known as the African crowned eagle or the crowned hawk-eagle, is a large bird found in sub-saharan Africa. The crowned eagle is the only extant member of the genus Stephanoaetus. A minimum of 90% of their diet is mammalian. The eagle feeds on animals such as duikers, chevrotains, rock hyrax, and small primates such as monkeys. Its preferred habitat is woodlands and forests.

The crowned eagle is a large bird. It measures from 80-99 cm in length, and has an average body mass of 3.64 kg. The eagle is the fifth longest extant eagle in the world. Unlike most animals, the female eagle is around 10-15% larger than the male; at a weight of about 3.2-4.7 kg. The male weighs approximately 2.55-4.12 kg. The wingspan usually ranges from 1.51-1.81 meters. The wingspan is short for the bird's large size, however the wings are quite broad. The crowned eagle is common in suitable habitat, though its population has seen a decrease due to deforestation. Their main habitat is a rich, high-canopy forest, which is a major target for agriculturists, palm-oil and bio-fuel plantations, miners, as well as slash and burn farmers. The crowned eagle in Ethiopia is at a low population and is restricted to protected areas. The species was uplisted to Near Threatened by IUCN in 2012.