We're back, with another raptor, this one requested by @cbishop so let's dive on in to the issue. And if you want to request an issue on an amazing animal, fabulous fungus, perplexing plant, or awesome paleofauna, don't hesitate to leave a request in the comments.
Range: The martial eagle is found in wooded savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa ranging from Gambia and Sudan in the north, to South Africa in the south.
IUCN Status: The martial eagle is listed as 'Endangered' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Martial Prowess
Martial eagles are among the largest eagles in the world (2), with a wingspan between 1.8 to 2.4m, and a body mass of 4kg, with females being approximately 10% larger than males. The plumage of adult martial eagles is dark brown, with a pale white underbelly with grey speckling and pale green scales on the feet. Martial eagles are largely nomadic outside of the breeding season, typically moving to new areas when prey resources are depleted. When not hunting, martial eagles are typically quiet, skittish birds that avoid areas with high human (Homo sapiens) populations, preferring more isolated habitats. The wings of the martial eagle have long broad wings with narrowed tips, that allows the species to engage in energy efficient flight. When not flying, the martial eagle is typically found in trees, and assumes a standing position, due to the upright position that it assumes when peached.
While all eagles have a wide prey range, the martial eagle hunts a diverse range of species with prey animals such as the common duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia), which weighs up to 35kg, taken. Included within the prey items hunted by the martial eagle include heavily armoured ground pangolins (Smutsia temminckii), aggressive species such as Nile monitors (Varanus niloticus) and olive baboons (Papio anubis) (3) and the young of notable predators such as lions (Panthera leo), and painted dogs (Lycaon pictus) (4). In addition to hunting, martial eagles are scavengers and bullies similar sized and larger raptors such as the African crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus) off their kills, and on occasion steals small prey items from leopards (Panthera padus) (5). Unusually for an accipiter, prey is killed using a stoop, typically from behind, using the speed of the impact with prey's back to paralyze prey and then dispatch it safely. Adult martial eagles are largely immune to predation, with only rare occasions of birds being dispatched when sleeping by caracals (Caracal caracal) recorded.
Martial eagles mate for life, with the pair choosing the tallest, hardest to climb feature, to build their nest, which may be 1.5m wide and 60cm deep, to lay their eggs in. Martial eagles breed infrequently, typically only laying two eggs per clutch, with the female doing most of the incubation over the 50-day incubation period (6). Upon hatching the older chick monopolises food, with the second chick typically dying before fledging at an age of 100 days. On the chicks hatching both parents provide the chicks food, until up to half a year after they have fledged. After leaving their parents, young martial eagles pick up sticks before dropping them to catch in mid-flight, as a form of play that also allows them to practice their hunting skills. Martial eagles mature slowly, becoming sexually mature at an age of seven years, and can live up to 30 years in the wild (7).
Anatomy of an Attack #11 - When Eagles Dare
Many things occurred in the autumn of 2024, but something that may have quite literally flown under the radar was a state of eagle attacks in Norway. Over the course of two months a female golden eagle attacked four people, including a 20-month child, with the bird making repeated attacks, until it was killed by the child's mother with a plank of wood (8). While there is little to no literature of unprovoked golden eagle attacks on humans, eagle attacks on humans while unusual, are not unheard of outside of Europe.
Africa is home to a number of large eagle species, with two of the largest species; the martial eagle and the African crowned eagle confirmed to have killed people. In both species the victims were children, with a martial eagle killing a four-year-old child in 2019 in Ethiopia and injuring two more, in what has been deemed a predatory attack (9). While smaller, the African crowned eagle is responsible for more attacks than its larger relative, with the bones of missing children sometimes found in crowned eagle nests. Since crowned eagles are predominantly primate hunters, it is not just modern humans that fell prey to this species, fossils of an Australopithecus africanus dubbed the 'Taung Child' shows clear puncture marks to the skull that match the talons of an African crowned eagle (10) and may have influenced the trend towards larger sizes in subsequent hominid species.
A third eagle species, Australia's wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax), has also been recorded attacking humans for food, however the majority of attacks are territorial, with reports of wedge tail attacks on hang gliders not uncommon (11). This territorial nature extends to unmanned vehicles, with wedge tailed eagles recorded knocking drones using for mining surveys out of the air. While the attacks on vehicles are usually non-lethal to both bird and aircraft, a wedge tailed eagle attack is a contributing factor of a helicopter crash in 2023 (12), which ended up killing the pilot. This territorial attitude is being capitalised by at least one country, with the French military training four golden eagles to intercept and neutralize unmanned aircraft (13).
The question remains, however, why did the eagle behind the Norwegian attacks target four people. The bird in question was young and had yet to establish a territory suggesting that it was not for territorial reasons, and while one victim was within the prey size preferred by this species, the other victims were all adults. The Norwegian authorities labelled the bird as 'having a behavioural disorder but there is no way to determine if this is the case, or if this was just a bird that was more aggressive. While attacks are rare, there does seem to be an uptick in conflict as humans encroach on territory once held by large predators.
Next week we go from the raptor, to a potential perch for said raptor. And if you want to see more amazing animals and plants, please check out the Oddity Arkive or past issues. And if you want even more animals, please check out the dearly departed Impurest Cheese's Guide to Animals, which can be found here or on the blog of raptor handler @ficopedia.
If you still have a yearning for learning, please check out the master list of Mr Monster's Martial Arts Journey.