Stephanoaetus coronatus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The crowned eagle, also known as the African crowned eagle or the crowned hawk-eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus), is a large bird of prey found in sub-Saharan Africa; in Southern Africa, it is restricted to more easterly areas. Its preferred habitats are principally riparian woodlands and various forests. The crowned eagle is the only extant member of the genus Stephanoaetus. A second species, the Malagasy crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus mahery), went extinct after early humans settled on Madagascar.
Mammals comprise the majority of the eagle's diet. Principal prey species vary throughout its large range, with monkeys, antelopes, rodents, hyraxes, and viverrids all being notable prey groups. Other wild mammals recorded as prey include bushpigs, pangolins, and bats. Birds are also a considerable component of the diet in some populations. In an urban population in Durban, South Africa, camera traps at nest sites revealed that 25% of prey items were birds, of which 17% were hadada ibis juveniles. In Taï, Côte d'Ivoire, trumpeter hornbills comprised 8% of prey. Reptiles and carrion are occasionally consumed. Domesticated cats, dogs, sheep, goats, and chickens are sometimes taken. However, in Durban, South Africa, domesticated animals comprised only 6% of the diet across 11 nests and 836 prey items, of which 3% were chickens. There is at least one credible report of an attack, presumably a case of attempted predation, on a 19.6 kg human child.
Although the crowned eagle's long tail imparts an overall length of up to 90 cm (35 in), it is lighter by weight, and has a considerably shorter wingspan, than Africa's largest eagle, the martial eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus). It is, nevertheless, considered Africa's most powerful eagle with respect to its prey's body size. It has been known to prey on ungulates as large as bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus), which can weigh up to 30 kg (66 lb), albeit usually much less. The crowned eagle possesses unusually large talons and strong legs, and may kill by simply crushing prey's skull. The eagle is also bold and ferocious; records documented from beneath a nest show the remains of a large male sooty mangabey weighing 11 kg (24 lb).
Due to their ecological and behavioral similarities, the crowned eagle is considered to be the African counterpart of the Central and South American harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja). Thanks to its bold and highly conspicuous behavior, it is exceptionally well-studied for a large, forest-dwelling eagle.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Fort Worth Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Bat World Sanctuary | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Kung Fu Corals | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Zorgboerderij Wouterbergen | 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Crowned Eagle sighting in Chinko Conservation Area on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 30th most-seen of the 47 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and September–October
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Crowned Eagle in Chinko Conservation Area on a given day, against under 5% in January–March, June–August and November, the lowest months. Those are among Chinko Conservation Area's wettest months, with about 120 mm of rain a month against almost none in January.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Crowned Eagle sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 25
Of the 25 parks where we can rate Crowned Eagle sightings, Chinko Conservation Area ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Arusha National Park (Tanzania, about 20%) and Aberdare National Park (Kenya, about 20%).
Same family: Accipitridae
The closest relatives of the Crowned Eagle that you can see in Chinko Conservation Area (family Accipitridae, Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) are Black Kite (about 50%), Red-necked Buzzard (about 20%) and Dark Chanting-Goshawk (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Crowned Eagle is recorded against all the birds logged in Chinko Conservation Area (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
