Bird Fact #3 - Bateleur

Terathopius ecuadatus

I was out on a drive one afternoon when we came across an interesting sighting. We had spent most of the afternoon hunting for clues regarding the location of any big cats. A little way off into the bush we found a clue we were looking for. Several White-backed and Hooded Vultures were perched in trees in the nearby vicinity but a Bateleur perched amongst the Vultures provided us with the biggest clue yet.

Bateleur typically scavenge more than any other Eagle and are quicker to spot kills than Vultures. Having several scavenging species in one place was exactly what we were looking for. This would indicate a carcass nearby. I asked on the radio if anyone else who had been around the area had noticed this and as it turned out, it had been seen. Three Lionesses killed a sub-adult Impala but had already moved off. A loss for the Lionesses, the Bateleur had its photograph taken instead.

Bateleur are beautiful, interesting and fascinating birds. The name originally comes from old French meaning “tight-rope walker”. This can be illustrated best in flight as they are often seen rocking from side to side.  As they have a very short tail they use this rocking motion to compensate for instability whilst flying.

It’s a well-known fact that the Eagle chick that hatches first kills its sibling once it hatches. This is not true for Bateleur chicks as the female only lays one egg. Should the female lose the egg or the chick, it will not be replaced until the next year.

Bateleur breed from December to June, with the peak time being from December to March. The female incubates the egg for 52 to 59 days and the chick stays in the nest for 93 to 115 days. It will still be reliant on the parents for 90 to 120 days after its first flight.

As a result of the relationship Bateleur have with large predators, the availability of food is very limited outside game reserves. They are therefore quite common within the northern and eastern game reserves in South Africa but very rare outside these areas. 

All photos taken with a Nikon Coolpix P510