Brown Snake Eagle

Circaetus cinereus Vieillot, 1818

Brown Snake Eagle, Circaetus cinereus, is a bird of prey in the Accipitridae family that breeds across Africa from Senegal and Gambia east to Ethiopia and south to South Africa. It is the largest member of its genus and is set apart by its large head and bare legs. The species lives in open woodland and wooded savanna, especially where gullies or low hills break up flatter ground. It is a solitary bird and is known for taking snakes, including venomous ones, and for raising a single chick.

Order

Accipitriformes

Family

Accipitridae — Kites, Hawks, Eagles

Breeding range

Africa: Senegal and Gambia to Ethiopia and s to South Africa