Martial Eagle: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Eagles · day 4 of 7

Five facts

1. Its name means war-like. With its spotted belly and fierce hunting, it is sometimes called the leopard of the air.
2. Its eyesight is more than three times as sharp as ours. It can pick out a meal 5 to 6 km off.
3. It hunts from high in the sky, circling until it sees prey, then diving in a long slanting swoop. The prey rarely sees it coming.
4. For such a powerful bird, it is very quiet. Partners keep in touch with a soft, low whistle that sounds like ko-wee-oh.
5. Family life is slow. A pair usually lays just one egg every two years, and one nest was used for 21 years in a row.

The quiz

1. What nickname does the martial eagle sometimes get?

• The leopard of the air (correct)
• The ghost of the hills
• The king of the rivers
• The night hunter

Its spotted underside and fierce hunting earned it this name.

2. From how far away has a martial eagle been known to spot prey?

• About 50 m
• About 500 m
• About 50 km
• As far as 5 to 6 km (correct)

Its very sharp eyes can pick out prey 5 to 6 km away.

3. How does the martial eagle mostly hunt?

• Waiting in burrows
• Circling high, then swooping down (correct)
• Chasing prey on foot
• Diving underwater

It circles at a great height and stoops to surprise its prey.

4. What sound do martial eagle partners use to keep in touch?

• A loud scream
• A rattling click
• A low, soft whistle (correct)
• A deep hoot

Their contact call is a low mellow whistle, ko-wee-oh.

5. How often does a martial eagle pair usually lay an egg?

• Three eggs every spring
• One egg every two years (correct)
• Two eggs every month
• Five eggs a year

They breed slowly, usually one egg every two years.

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