Wahlberg's Eagle

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Accipitriformes
Family:	Accipitridae
Genus:	*Aquila*
Species:	*wahlbergi*

Binomial name

Aquila wahlbergi
Sundevall, 1851

The Wahlberg's Eagle (Aquila wahlbergi) is a bird of prey. It is about 55-60cm in length and has a wingspan of 130-160cm. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae.

Wahlberg's Eagle breeds in most of Africa south of the Sahara. It is a bird of woodland, often near water. It builds a stick nest in the fork of a tree or the crown of a palm tree. The clutch is one or two eggs

Wahlberg's Eagle is a medium-sized raptor. The plumage is dark brown except for dark streaked grey undersides to the flight feathers, and a barred grey undertail. The head has a small crest, and the legs are yellow.

There is a pale variant which is much lighter brown with whitish, rather than grey undertail and flight feather undersides. Sexes are similar.

In flight, this species is very cross-shaped, with long evenly wide wings, a slim body and long narrow square-ended tail. The wings are held very flat.

Wahlberg's Eagle hunts reptiles, small mammals and birds. The call is a whistled kleeah-kleeah-kleeah.

Reference

Birds of The Gambia by Barlow, Wacher and Disley, ISBN 1-873403-32-1