Bird Album
Brown Snake Eagle
Circaetus cinereus Vieillot, 1818
2 kgWeight
The brown snake eagle (Circaetus cinereus) is a fairly large species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.
Busiest months: November · Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania
Where and when it's recorded
Brown Snake Eagle has been recorded at 375 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 27 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Tarangire NPTanzania538 records
- Lake Mburo NPUganda261 records
- iSimangaliso WP – Eastern ShoresSouth Africa257 records
More places
- Kruger NP – Skukuza CampSouth Africa215 records
- Maasai Mara NR – Mara TriangleKenya214 records
- Kruger NP – Satara CampSouth Africa205 records
- Mkhuze GRSouth Africa166 records
- Samburu NRKenya151 records
- Serengeti NPTanzania133 records
- Kruger NP – Satara-Tshokwane RoadSouth Africa133 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 brown snake eagle (Circaetus cinereus) is a fairly large species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is found in West, East and southern Africa. This species is an almost obligate predator of a variety of snakes.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Brown Snake Eagle?
The Brown Snake Eagle weighs around 2 kg.
Where does the Brown Snake Eagle live?
Its breeding range: Africa: Senegal and Gambia to Ethiopia and south to South Africa. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania.
When is the best time to see the Brown Snake Eagle?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Brown Snake Eagle endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Brown Snake Eagle as Least Concern.
What does the Brown Snake Eagle eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the Brown Snake Eagle in?
It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 2 kg
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 518 mm
- Tail
- 254 mm
- Bill
- 55 mm
- Tarsus
- 94 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: Senegal and Gambia to Ethiopia and south to South Africa
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
- Genus
- Circaetus
Other birds in the genus Circaetus
Western Banded Snake EagleCircaetus cinerascens
Southern Banded Snake EagleCircaetus fasciolatus
Congo Serpent EagleCircaetus spectabilis
Beaudouin's Snake EagleCircaetus beaudouini
Black-chested Snake EagleCircaetus pectoralis
Short-toed Snake EagleCircaetus gallicus
Pearl KiteGampsonyx swainsonii
Scissor-tailed KiteChelictinia riocourii
White-tailed KiteElanus leucurus
Black-winged KiteElanus caeruleus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Paul Tavares. ↗
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