Tawny Eagle: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Eagles · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. In Afrikaans it is the Roofarend, the robber eagle. Besides hunting and scavenging, it steals food from other raptors.
2. Its raids are lightning fast. It dives at another bird of prey, snatches the food in seconds and often takes off again without landing.
3. It builds a stick nest, usually right at the top of a tree, and lays one to three eggs in it.
4. Its wanderings once looked random. Studies showed it is really searching for new areas when rain has failed at home.
5. This eagle has a country to call its own: it is the national animal of Ghana.

The quiz

1. What does the tawny eagle's Afrikaans name mean?

• Robber Eagle (correct)
• Sun Eagle
• Desert King
• Brown Hunter

Roofarend means robber eagle, fitting a bird that steals prey.

2. How does a tawny eagle usually rob another bird of prey?

• It follows it for days
• It calls loudly until the bird drops it
• It dives in and grabs the food in seconds (correct)
• It trades it a stick

A swift stoop lets it yank the prey away in seconds.

3. Where does the tawny eagle usually build its nest?

• In a burrow in the ground
• On a cliff by the sea
• At the top of a tree (correct)
• Inside a cave

Its stick nest is usually in the crown of a tree.

4. Why do tawny eagles sometimes wander to new areas?

• To escape the cold
• To follow herds of camels
• To find calmer winds
• To make up for a lack of rain (correct)

Studies showed their movements are searches for places with better rainfall.

5. The tawny eagle is the national animal of which country?

• Kenya
• Ghana (correct)
• Egypt
• India

Ghana has made the tawny eagle its national animal.

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