throughout South Africa is not a bird of prey, whose strength and courage would give way to combat eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus), belonging to the family Accipitridae.The area of its habitat - the whole of the continent south of the Sahara, especially the open terrain.The only exceptions are forest regions of South Africa.
Appearance
It's quite a big bird, wingspan is up to 227 cm and body length - 80-86 cm. The upper part is covered with feathers dark brown, with the addition of almost black color in the head.The belly is almost white, with a few subtle brown spots.Muscular chest, powerful claws, stern look gray-brown eyes and a hooked beak just give it a serious predator that knows no equal among birds.Large female martial eagle can reach a weight of 7 kg.
Behavior
Battle eagle - a bird very careful and observant, so your home fits a lone tree, from which can be clearly seen everything that is done in the district.A pair of birds kept always together, flying around periodically their territory and to prevent any near any other predatory birds.When such an invasion occurs, it is very handy fighting qualities of an eagle, and any predator takes flight.The area, which is owned by the family of eagles, up to 1,000 square meters.meters.They nest pair at a distance of at least 50 km from each other.
Power
feed for martial eagle are the birds and mammals of small and medium size, such as a lady, meerkats, a young gazelle or impala, young monkey, and so on. D. Do not refuse it, and from reptiles, hunting sometimes snakes and lizards.As the feed themselves and sometimes pets - dogs, sheep, goats.Do not shrink from fighting eagle and alien prey if given such a case.He hunts, usually in flight, soaring high in the sky, looking out for prey, then at high speed rush it.
Reproduction
fork in the highest tree builds its nest, this bird of prey.If there are no trees in the area, have to nest on inaccessible ledges.Mainly engaged in construction of the female, pitching very surprising strength slot up to 2 meters in diameter, it can safely accommodate even a person.It performed very unique and is made up of several layers.Initially stacked thick stick, followed by a layer of dry leaves, twigs, moss and other plant items that are nearby.Rounding out the top layer of the construction of thin twigs forming the tray.
When the nest is completely ready, the female lays in a 2 white spherical eggs measuring about 8 cm. Power females incubating eggs in the process provides a male (for about one and a half months).When there are chicks, he also provides the food is all the family, however does so only as long as the younger generation grows up a little bit.Later, the chicks require a large amount of food that even two of the parents are not always able to get it.Therefore, fighting an eagle and can sometimes take away food from other predators.After 3 months, the chicks begin to make first test flights from the parental nest.By the time around the whole pile of bones accumulated a wide variety of animals.Young adult plumage appears only on the 7th month of life.
Enemy at fighting eagle almost non-existent, unless we consider the human being.Farmers often prey on him, fearing for their pets.In recent years, the number of martial eagle is markedly reduced, and this is a real threat that a detachment of birds of prey can do to lose such a great representative.
