Education spotlight: Bateleur Eagle

Family Accipitridae, Terathopius ecaudatus

The bateleur eagle (bateleur comes from the French, meaning acrobat or tumbler) is an African eagle most famous for their tail, or lack thereof. With a tail only two inches long, they are capable of amazing stunts in flight, doing complete sideways barrel rolls. They are also known as the Snake eagle because they are one of the few predators of venomous snakes. They use their extensive plumage to "puff up" when striking a snake so that even if the snake bites, it only gets a mouthful of feathers. They stand 22 to 28 inches tall and have a 5 to 6 foot wingspan.

The video below is of Shadow, our bateleur eagle. Shadow was taken illegally from his home in Africa, confiscated by U.S. Customs, and given to the sanctuary. He now works as an education bird. Here you see him doing his display. He can be a bit territorial about his perch. He displays by puffing up very large, standing tall and then dipping his head to his toes. You can hear him call as he displays.