Post by OldGreenVulture on Sept 27, 2019 11:45:22 GMT
Verreaux's (African Black) Eagle - Aquila verreauxii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Aquila
Species: A. verreauxii
Binomial name: Aquila verreauxii
Verreaux's Eagle (Aquila verreauxii), sometimes known as the Black Eagle (leading to confusion with the Asian Black Eagle), is a large bird of prey. This eagle lives in hilly and mountaineous regions of southern and eastern Africa (extending marginally into Chad), and very locally in Western Asia.
Description
It is 75 to 96 cm (30 to 38 in) long. Males weigh 3 to 4.2 kg (6.6 to 9.3 lb) and females weigh 3.1 to 5.8 kg (6.8 to 13 lb). It has a wingspan of 1.81 to 2.2 m (5.9 to 7.2 ft). It is black with a distinct white V marking on its back. Juveniles are usually light and dark brown with a black face. Structurally, it is very similar to the Golden Eagle of the Northern Hemisphere, and the Wedge-tailed Eagleof Australia.
It is highly territorial and can often be seen with another Verreaux's Eagle, with whom it mates for life. The pair will lay two cream-colored eggs, four days apart in autumn, and these will hatch approximately 45 days later.
It is a specialist hunter of hyraxes (or dassies). The size of its territory often inversely reflects the size of the local hyrax population. Occasionally, it will prey on birds such as guinea fowl or mammals of similar size to hyraxes, such as large rodents.
The name commemorates the French naturalist Jules Verreaux, who visited southern Africa in the early 18th century.
Taxonomy:
The molecular phylogenetic analysis of Lerner and Mindell (2005), based on the molecular sequences of two mitochondrial and one nuclear genes, showed that the genus Aquila, as presently constituted in most phylogenetic treatments, is not monophyletic. They found that the Aquila chrysaetos, Spizaetus africanus, Hieraaetus fasciatus, A. verreauxii, A. audax, and A. gurneyi form a clade of closely related species. Helbig et al. (2005) found similar relationships, based on DNA sequences from one mitochondrial and three nuclear genes. Earlier, a close relationship among A. chrysaetos, A. audax, A. gurneyi, and A. verreauxii was proposed by Brown and Amadon (1968), based on morphological data. To most southern Africans, this is the "Black Eagle," but the vernacular name "Verreaux's Eagle" is used here, somewhat reluctantly, to distinguish this species from the Asian Ictinaetus malayensis, which is also widely known as the "Black Eagle."
Food and Feeding Behavior
Feeds mainly on rock hyraxes (Procavbis capensis) in the southern portion of its range, but also on hares, other small mammals, birds, and reptiles. Also occasionally takes carrion. Often hunts in tandem with one bird probably distracting the prey while the other attacks.
Habitat and Habits:
Prefers gorges, rocky foothills, and montane habitats and is more common in xeric areas than in grassland and woodland vegetation types. Brown et al. (1982) stated that it is present in areas with annual rainfall
Movements:
Partial migrant, with juveniles dispersing from breeding areas (Bildstein 2006). According to Gargett (1990), adults show strong fidelity to their breeding territory, but non-breeding birds, especially subadults, may move significant distances. However, Hartley (1998) regarded this species as sedentary in Zimbabwe. About 400 birds, including some that were captured and relocated for management purposes, were ringed in South Africa by 1998 (Oatley et al. 1998).
From Carnivora.
carnivora.net/verreaux-s-african-black-eagle-aquila-verreauxii-t2558.html#p5440
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Aquila
Species: A. verreauxii
Binomial name: Aquila verreauxii
Verreaux's Eagle (Aquila verreauxii), sometimes known as the Black Eagle (leading to confusion with the Asian Black Eagle), is a large bird of prey. This eagle lives in hilly and mountaineous regions of southern and eastern Africa (extending marginally into Chad), and very locally in Western Asia.
Description
It is 75 to 96 cm (30 to 38 in) long. Males weigh 3 to 4.2 kg (6.6 to 9.3 lb) and females weigh 3.1 to 5.8 kg (6.8 to 13 lb). It has a wingspan of 1.81 to 2.2 m (5.9 to 7.2 ft). It is black with a distinct white V marking on its back. Juveniles are usually light and dark brown with a black face. Structurally, it is very similar to the Golden Eagle of the Northern Hemisphere, and the Wedge-tailed Eagleof Australia.
It is highly territorial and can often be seen with another Verreaux's Eagle, with whom it mates for life. The pair will lay two cream-colored eggs, four days apart in autumn, and these will hatch approximately 45 days later.
It is a specialist hunter of hyraxes (or dassies). The size of its territory often inversely reflects the size of the local hyrax population. Occasionally, it will prey on birds such as guinea fowl or mammals of similar size to hyraxes, such as large rodents.
The name commemorates the French naturalist Jules Verreaux, who visited southern Africa in the early 18th century.
Taxonomy:
The molecular phylogenetic analysis of Lerner and Mindell (2005), based on the molecular sequences of two mitochondrial and one nuclear genes, showed that the genus Aquila, as presently constituted in most phylogenetic treatments, is not monophyletic. They found that the Aquila chrysaetos, Spizaetus africanus, Hieraaetus fasciatus, A. verreauxii, A. audax, and A. gurneyi form a clade of closely related species. Helbig et al. (2005) found similar relationships, based on DNA sequences from one mitochondrial and three nuclear genes. Earlier, a close relationship among A. chrysaetos, A. audax, A. gurneyi, and A. verreauxii was proposed by Brown and Amadon (1968), based on morphological data. To most southern Africans, this is the "Black Eagle," but the vernacular name "Verreaux's Eagle" is used here, somewhat reluctantly, to distinguish this species from the Asian Ictinaetus malayensis, which is also widely known as the "Black Eagle."
Food and Feeding Behavior
Feeds mainly on rock hyraxes (Procavbis capensis) in the southern portion of its range, but also on hares, other small mammals, birds, and reptiles. Also occasionally takes carrion. Often hunts in tandem with one bird probably distracting the prey while the other attacks.
Habitat and Habits:
Prefers gorges, rocky foothills, and montane habitats and is more common in xeric areas than in grassland and woodland vegetation types. Brown et al. (1982) stated that it is present in areas with annual rainfall
Movements:
Partial migrant, with juveniles dispersing from breeding areas (Bildstein 2006). According to Gargett (1990), adults show strong fidelity to their breeding territory, but non-breeding birds, especially subadults, may move significant distances. However, Hartley (1998) regarded this species as sedentary in Zimbabwe. About 400 birds, including some that were captured and relocated for management purposes, were ringed in South Africa by 1998 (Oatley et al. 1998).
From Carnivora.
carnivora.net/verreaux-s-african-black-eagle-aquila-verreauxii-t2558.html#p5440