Today we are pleased to bring you a bird that has been described as one of the most strikingly beautiful of all the eagles, the Bateleur.
This is an African eagle that lives in the sub-Sahara regions of the continent. The word ‘bateleur’ comes from the French, literally meaning ‘juggler’, and is a reference to the distinct side to side tilting motion the bird makes while in flight.
Now, everything about the Bateleur is distinctive. We’ve already seen that they’ve been named for their odd flying behaviour, but it doesn’t stop there.
Obviously, just colour-wise you can tell these birds are something a little different. They have grey, black and white patches on their wings. And then their faces, don’t even get me started. Too late, I already have — black hood with a vibrant orange and yellow beak that really pops against the dark background.
But it doesn’t stop there. Oh no. Their silhouette is also bizarre for an eagle. They have almost no tail to speak of along with stubby wings and legs. Even from a distance, these birds stick out like a sore thumb to anyone who knows what to look for.
But for my money, the thing that makes the Bateleur truly excellent has nothing to do with how they look, it’s their attitude towards life. these birds know how to pamper themselves. They spend an inordinate amount of time bathing, both the aquatic and sun type.
The Bateleur loves splashing about in water to stay cool, and then they will sit about with their wings splayed and pointed to the sun to warm themselves back up. If birds had day spas, the Bateleur would have platinum membership.
They also have a tendency of laying on ant nests. They wait to be covered in ants before ruffling their feathers. This upsets the ants who then release formic acid. It is believed the Bateleur does this as a way to fumigate themselves and kill parasites that live in their feathers.
What can I say, when it comes to pampering and grooming the Bateleur has it figured out.
22/05/2022
Bird of the Week 