Martial Eagle

Description:

This is a very large and powerful eagle from a family Accipitridae, up to 90cm in length. It has dark grey-brown upperparts: back, neck, head and chest , neatly separated from white underparts; sometimes peppered with grey-black spots (not seen on this occasion). It bears a short crest on the head; and it has yellow eyes and grey cere.

Habitat:

Seen in woodland edge in Nairobi National Park.

Notes:

Actually this raptor was very difficult to see - at first, while driving through the park, we heard a panic screaming of few Guineafowls. We couldn't see them, but the screams were rather loud... It took us almost 15 minutes to spot this bird, calmly feasting in a shade of that tree, surrounded by panicking flock of Guineafowl...