Steppe Eagle
Aquila nipalensis

A: Steppe-arend
G: Steppenadler
N: !au!khās
Sp: Ntšhu la lebala
Ss: Ntsu ya naga
Tw: Ntsu ya naga
Z: ukhozimuhlwa

BIRD FAMILY
Eagles (True)

SIZE
75 cm (VL)

HABITAT
Eats termites and is often seen consuming them on the ground, especially in the Kalahari. Also raids breeding colonies of queleas, feeding on eggs and nestlings. Found in mixed savanna & woodland, not found in the Karoo.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION
Fairly common summer visitor. Can be difficult to distinguish from Long-crested Eagle and Lesser Spotted Eagle. Adult is darker and plainer than the darkest of Tawny Eagle; eye dark, legs baggy, its prominent orange-yellow gape extends back to a point level with the back of the eye (slightly shorter in race A. n. orientali, but still larger than in Tawny Eagle. A buffy patch is often present on the hind crown. Adult have dark trailing edges to secondaries in flight with very faint undertail barring. Immature very like Tawny Eagle but has longer gape; in flight shows much white in the wings and on rear covert line, primary wing coverts brown with pale white trailing band on secondaries in flight and while perched cf. Tawny Eagle; Lesser Spotted Eagle.