Bird Album
African Hawk-Eagle
Aquila spilogaster (Bonaparte, 1850)
55–68 cmLength1.5 kgWeight
The African hawk-eagle (Aquila spilogaster) is a large bird of prey.
Busiest months: November · Most records: Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania
Where and when it's recorded
African Hawk-Eagle has been recorded at 330 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 28 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Tarangire NPTanzania227 records
- Campement de WassadouSenegal140 records
- Buffalo Springs NRKenya128 records
More places
- Lake Nakuru NPKenya121 records
- Samburu NRKenya108 records
- Waterberg ResortNamibia90 records
- Tsavo West NPKenya80 records
- Lake Manyara NPTanzania79 records
- Amboseli NPKenya79 records
- Kruger NP – Satara CampSouth Africa79 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The African hawk-eagle (Aquila spilogaster) is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. This species' feathered legs mark it as a member of the Aquilinae subfamily.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the African Hawk-Eagle?
The African Hawk-Eagle is about 55–68 cm long and weighs around 1.5 kg.
Where does the African Hawk-Eagle live?
Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania.
When is the best time to see the African Hawk-Eagle?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the African Hawk-Eagle endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the African Hawk-Eagle as Least Concern.
What does the African Hawk-Eagle eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the African Hawk-Eagle in?
It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 55–68 cm
- Weight
- 1.5 kg
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Varied
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 428 mm
- Tail
- 255 mm
- Bill
- 44 mm
- Tarsus
- 91 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
- Genus
- Aquila
Other birds in the genus Aquila
Steppe EagleAquila nipalensis
Tawny EagleAquila rapax
Spanish Imperial EagleAquila adalberti
Eastern Imperial EagleAquila heliaca
Cassin's Hawk-EagleAquila africana
Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos
Bonelli's EagleAquila fasciata
Verreaux's EagleAquila verreauxii
Gurney's EagleAquila gurneyi
Wedge-tailed EagleAquila audax
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by copper. ↗
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