Bateleur

This article is about a species of bird. For other uses of the word "Bateleur", see Bateleur (disambiguation).

Bateleur
At San Diego Zoo, USA
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Falconiformes (or Accipitriformes, q.v.)
Family:	Accipitridae
Subfamily:	Circaetinae
Genus:	Terathopius Lesson, 1830
Species:	T. ecaudatus
Binomial name
Terathopius ecaudatus (Daudin, 1800)
Light Green: nesting area

The Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) is a medium-sized eagle in the bird family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as buzzards, kites and harriers. It is the only member of the genus Terathopius and probably the origin of the "Zimbabwe bird", national emblem of Zimbabwe.

The Bateleur eagle is a common resident species of the open savanna country in Sub-Saharan Africa, though it also occurs in south-west Arabia. Total distribution size is estimated at 28,000,000 km². It nests in trees, laying a single egg which is incubated by the female for 42 to 43 days, with a further 90 to 125 days until fledging. Bateleurs pair for life, and will use the same nest for a number of years. Unpaired birds, presumably from a previous clutch, will sometimes help at the nest.

An immature captive Bateleur

Global population is estimated at 10,000 - 100,000 individuals.

The Bateleur is a colourful species with a very short tail (ecaudatus is Latin for tailless) which makes it unmistakable in flight. The adult is 55 to 70 cm (21.5 to 27.5 in) long with a 175 cm (5.75 ft) wingspan. Weight is 1.8-2.9 kg (4-6.5 lbs). The male has black plumage except for the chestnut mantle and tail, grey shoulders, and red facial skin, bill and legs.

The female is similar to the male except that she is slightly bigger and has grey rather than black secondary flight feathers. Immature birds are brown with white dappling and have greenish facial skin. It takes them seven or eight years to reach full maturity.

The eagle hunts over a territory of 250 square miles (650 km²) a day. The prey of this raptor is mostly birds, including pigeons and sandgrouse, and also small mammals; it also takes carrion.

The Bateleur is generally silent, but on occasions it produces a variety of barks and screams.

A captive Bateleur Eagle, New Forest, United Kingdom

Bateleur eagles are among a group of raptors that secrete a clear, salty fluid from their nares whilst eating. According to Schmidt-Nielson's (1964) hypothesis, this is due to the general necessity for birds to use an extrarenal mechanism of salt secretion to aid water reabsorption.

"Bateleur" is French for "Street Performer" which included performers such as tight-rope walkers. This name implies the bird’s characteristic habit of rocking its wings from side to side when flying, as if catching its balance.

In some countries, outside of its natural distribution, the Bateleur is occasionally known as the "Conifer Eagle" or even "Pine Eagle", since its feathers somewhat resemble a conifer cone when it fluffs itself up.^{[citation needed]}

In 2009, the Bateleur was placed in the Near-Threatened IUCN Red List Category due to loss of habitat, pesticides, capture for international trade and nest disturbance. Decline of the species is suspected to have been moderately rapid over the past three generations. Current conservation efforts are unknown.

Media

• 

  Adult

• 

  Adult, Male

• 

  Sunwarming in a zoo

• 

  Immature

•  

  A female perched on a gloved hand in Disney's Animal Kingdom

• 

  Female in Texas

• 
• 

  Two juveniles in Botswana

References

• Barlow, Wacher and Disley Birds of The Gambia ISBN 1-873403-32-1
• Ferguson-Lees, Christie, Franklin, Mead, and Burton. Raptors of the World. London: Christopher Helm, 1999. ISBN 0-7136-8026-1.

External links

• Bateleur - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.