"Bateleur" is French for "street performer" - & those artists included performers such as acrobats & tight-rope walkers. The name implies the bird’s characteristic habit of rocking its wings from side to side when gliding, as if catching its balance. The scientific name for Bateleur: "Terathopius Ecaudatus" means pretty face without a tail!
Extremely large wingspan and a short tail give this eagle a unique flying style: it turns by banking like an aircraft, rather than using its tail as a steering rudder
• it hunts on the wing, soaring above the ground before spiraling down to strike its prey
• it indulges in dramatic courtship flights — the male makes spectacular 360° rolls in midair.
Whether hurtling down upon a live victim, descending to feed on carrion, or ambushing other scavengers and stealing their kill, the Bateleur is a master opportunist, attacking anything from grasshoppers to small species of antelope. Groups of up to 50 juveniles gather to feast on winged termites emerging from their nests, and adults hunt birds as big as guinea fowl.This eagle also takes carrion and even snatches carcasses from vultures and other scavengers in bold, piratical attacks.
Small mammals are probably the Bateleur’s favorite prey, which it hunts on the wing from a height. Gliding back and forth, it watches for any movement that could betray a grass rat, a Dik-dik or a gazelle fawn. On spotting a victim, it corkscrews down in a spiral, slamming into its target with its talons. It then tears the carcass with its sharp, powerful & murderously hooked bill.
The long wings and short tail of the Bateleur are an adaptation for soaring and gliding. Lacking an effective rudder, the Bateleur turns by banking from side to side. It stays aloft for most of the day, soaring in circles on thermals (warm, rising air currents) with its wingtips splayed to reduce air turbulence. Between thermals it glides fast and straight with its wingtips swept back. Adults usually remain in large territories, but nomadic juveniles wander more widely, often covering 180 miles or more a day.
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