A striking and unique bird of prey found in Africa. It’s easily recognizable thanks to its bold colors and distinctive shape. The word “bateleur” means “acrobat” in French, and this bird lives up to its name with its incredible flying skills. It has broad wings and a very short tail, which makes it look almost triangular when flying. The bateleur is mostly black with a bright red face and legs, and its wings have white and grey patches. Males and females look a lot alike, but females are slightly larger and have more white on their wings.
One of the most interesting things about the bateleur is how it flies. It spends a lot of time gliding through the air, barely flapping its wings. It uses the wind to stay up, sometimes for hours, while it searches for food. When it spots something to eat, it can dive down quickly to catch it. Bateleurs eat a variety of foods, including small mammals, birds, reptiles, and even carrion, which are the remains of dead animals. They are also known to steal food from other birds, swooping down to snatch a meal right out of another bird’s claws.
Bateleurs are usually found alone or in pairs. They have a large territory that they defend from other birds. Their name reflects their acrobatic flight patterns, which they sometimes use in courtship displays to impress potential mates. They are monogamous, meaning they stay with the same partner for life. The pair will work together to build a large, messy nest high up in a tree. The female usually lays one egg, which she incubates for about two months. After the chick hatches, both parents take turns feeding and protecting it until it is ready to leave the nest, which takes several months.
Distribution
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central Af. Rep.
Chad
Congo-Brazzaville
Côte D’ivoire
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Djibouti
Egypt
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea
Iraq
Israel
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Yemen
Zambia
ZimbabweAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
