Martial Eagle

• 17 Aug 12:27
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The Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus), is a very large eagle found in open and semi-open habitats of sub-Saharan Africa. It is the only member of the genus Polemaetus.

It is a very large eagle, with a length of 76–96 cm (30–38 in), weight of 3.1–6.2 kg (6.8–14 lb) and a wingspan of 188–227 cm (6.17–7.45 ft). Among eagles found in Africa, only the Golden, Verreaux's and Crowned Eagle overlap in size with the Martial Eagle. The adult's plumage has dark brown upperparts, head and upper chest. The body underparts are white spotted with black. The underwing coverts are brown, with pale flight feathers, also streaked with black. The female is usually larger and more spotted than the male. The immature is paler above and has white underparts. It reaches adult plumage in its seventh year.

The Martial Eagle can be found in most of sub-Saharan Africa, wherever food is abundant and the environment favourable. It is never common, but greater population densities do exist in southern Africa, especially in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Generally, these birds are more abundant in protected areas such as Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa, or Etosha National...

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