The Brown Snake Eagle (Circaetus cinereus) is a fairly large bird of prey found in West, East, and southern Africa. It is an almost obligate predator of a variety of snakes and is classified as a Least Concern species due to its wide distribution.
Identifying the Brown Snake Eagle
Adult Brown Snake Eagles have a large head and bare legs, with plumage about the body being entirely a fairly dark brown, sometimes with a purplish sheen in certain light conditions. The wings are also brown but have contrasting unmarked flight feathers which are whitish-grey. The shortish tail is barred brown and greyish cream. Juveniles are similar in appearance and color but tend to have very sparse white feather bases, with birds from south of the range showing heavier white speckling, especially on the abdomen and head.
The Brown Snake Eagle is the largest member of the Circaetus genus, with a total length of 66 to 78 cm (26 to 31 in) and a wingspan of 160 to 185 cm (5 ft 3 in to 6 ft 1 in). Known weights are between 1.5 and 2.5 kg (3.3 and 5.5 lb), with an average of around 2.05 kg (4.5 lb). Despite its fairly large size, this species has a relatively small wing spread, being smaller winged than the bateleur and even the much lighter black-breasted snake eagle.
Their call is a hoarse, guttural hok-hok-hok-hok, usually uttered in territorial displays at conspecifics and sometimes culminating in a crowing kaaww. Pairs also call a soft kwee-oo probably as a contact call at the nest.
Habitat and Distribution of the Brown Snake Eagle
Image source: Brown snake eagle By Derek Keats
Brown Snake Eagles are found in a variety of habitats, ranging from semi-desert and open grassland to Karoo scrub and closed deciduous woodland. They are distributed widely in Africa, ranging from southeastern Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, eastern and western Guinea, Sierra Leone, the northern, inland parts of Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, and inland in Mali and Niger. They range across to southern Chad, southern Sudan, South Sudan, inland in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia and central Ethiopia and in southern Somalia through much of Kenya, Uganda, and the southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo down through southern Africa to about half of Namibia, all of Botswana and Zimbabwe and northeastern and eastern South Africa. They are not migratory but may be somewhat nomadic, with cases of birds on territories stretching up to 200 km (120 mi) apart.
Behavior of the Brown Snake Eagle
Brown Snake Eagles are solitary birds with a prolonged breeding cycle and raise a single eaglet. They are almost obligate predators of a variety of snakes and have natural protection against bites, with thick-skinned legs. They have been recorded taking a wide range of snake species, including venomous species like the boomslang.
Unique Characteristics of the Brown Snake Eagle
The Brown Snake Eagle is a fascinating bird of prey that has adapted to hunt and eat snakes, even venomous ones. Their thick-skinned legs provide natural protection against bites, allowing them to take on a wide range of snake species. Despite their fairly large size, they have a relatively small wing spread, making them more maneuverable in tight spaces like forests and woodlands. Their solitary nature and prolonged breeding cycle make them a unique and intriguing species to study and observe in the wild.
