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To the Beauty of Birds

The Black-chested Snake Eagle (Circaetus pectoralis) is a large African bird of prey of the Accipitridae family. It resembles other snake-eagles and was once believed to be conspecific with the short-toed snake eagle and Beaudouin's snake eagle.

The main identifying character of this bird is its dark brown head and chest, to which it owes its name. In flight the dark head contrasts with the underparts and underwings, which are white apart from dark barring on the flight feathers and tail. The upperparts are dark brown, and the eye is yellow. The female is similar to, but larger than the male, and the juvenile is rufous. The call is a whistled kwo kwo kwo kweeoo.

This species can be found throughout southern Africa from Ethiopia and Sudan in the north to South Africa in the south and Angola in the southwest. Due to its wide distribution the species is not endangered.

Black-chested Snake-eagle

Snake-Eagle Black-chested 9583

Snake-Eagle Black-chested 9911

Snake-Eagle Black-chested 192

Snake-Eagle Black-chested 7950