Photo: Chris Eason / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
African Hawk-Eagle
Aquila spilogaster
African Hawk-Eagle (Aquila spilogaster) — Birds of Prey of Africa.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The African Hawk-Eagle (Aquila spilogaster) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 1.5 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Aquila
- Species spilogaster
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.5 kg
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The African Hawk-Eagle preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The African Hawk-Eagle is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The African Hawk-Eagle (Aquila spilogaster) is a species of bird in the Accipitridae family, part of the order Accipitriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.5 kg, with a wing length of about 42.8 cm and a tail of around 25.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 12.4 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the African Hawk-Eagle?
The African Hawk-Eagle is a very large bird that weighs around 1.5 kg.
Where does the African Hawk-Eagle live?
The African Hawk-Eagle is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the African Hawk-Eagle belong to?
The African Hawk-Eagle (Aquila spilogaster) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the African Hawk-Eagle eat?
The African Hawk-Eagle preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the African Hawk-Eagle migrate?
The African Hawk-Eagle is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the African Hawk-Eagle endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the African Hawk-Eagle make?
1 real field recording of the African Hawk-Eagle — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the African Hawk-Eagle's range?
The African Hawk-Eagle has a mapped global range of about 12.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Accipitridae
A field guide to the Accipitridae family — 254 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.