Black-chested Snake Eagle (Circaetus pectoralis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black-chested Snake Eagle

Circaetus pectoralis Smith, A, 1829

1.5 kgWeight

The black-chested snake eagle or black-breasted snake eagle (Circaetus pectoralis) is a large African bird of prey of the family Accipitridae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Black-chested Snake Eagle has been recorded at 334 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 18 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Maasai Mara NR – Mara TriangleKenya431 records
  2. Serengeti NPTanzania256 records
  3. Maasai Mara NRKenya250 records
More places
  1. Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania240 records
  2. Rietvlei NRSouth Africa235 records
  3. Nairobi NPKenya217 records
  4. iSimangaliso WP – Eastern ShoresSouth Africa210 records
  5. Tarangire NPTanzania166 records
  6. Lake Nakuru NPKenya157 records
  7. Zaagkuildrift RdSouth Africa140 records

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaTanzaniaSouth AfricaUgandaNamibiaBotswanaMozambiqueZambia

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 black-chested snake eagle or black-breasted snake eagle (Circaetus pectoralis) is a large African bird of prey of the family Accipitridae. It resembles other snake eagles and was formerly considered conspecific with the short-toed and Beaudouin's snake eagles, to which it is closely related.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-chested Snake Eagle?

The Black-chested Snake Eagle weighs around 1.5 kg.

Where does the Black-chested Snake Eagle live?

Its breeding range: Africa: eastern Sudan and Ethiopia to South Africa. It is most often recorded in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.

When is the best time to see the Black-chested Snake Eagle?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Black-chested Snake Eagle endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-chested Snake Eagle as Least Concern.

What does the Black-chested Snake Eagle eat?

Main food: Vertebrate prey.

What family is the Black-chested Snake Eagle in?

It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.

At a glance

Weight
1.5 kg
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Vertebrate prey
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
528 mm
Tail
259 mm
Bill
47 mm
Tarsus
84 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: eastern Sudan and Ethiopia to South Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
Genus
Circaetus

Other birds in the genus Circaetus

Western Banded Snake EagleWestern Banded Snake EagleCircaetus cinerascensSouthern Banded Snake EagleSouthern Banded Snake EagleCircaetus fasciolatusCongo Serpent EagleCongo Serpent EagleCircaetus spectabilisBeaudouin's Snake EagleBeaudouin's Snake EagleCircaetus beaudouiniShort-toed Snake EagleShort-toed Snake EagleCircaetus gallicusBrown Snake EagleBrown Snake EagleCircaetus cinereusPearl KitePearl KiteGampsonyx swainsoniiScissor-tailed KiteScissor-tailed KiteChelictinia riocouriiWhite-tailed KiteWhite-tailed KiteElanus leucurusBlack-winged KiteBlack-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
Black-chested Snake Eagle

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by copper. ↗

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