Masters of the air

Black (Verreaux’s) Eagles (Aquila verreauxii) are amongst the largest of Africa’s Eagles. They are always associated with mountainous or hilly terrain ,and the adults are almost always seen as a pair. They are magnificent flyers, often seen floating effortlessly on the air, or at other times plunging spectacularly at high velocity.

Their preferred prey is the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) and so the distribution of the Black Eagle corresponds closely with that of the rock hyrax.

Although Black Eagles are most commonly associated with inland mountains, we are very fortunate to have at a breeding pair resident in the Cape Peninsula.

Recently, while guiding my Mountains in The Sea Trail, we were thrilled to watch this pair of Black Eagles hunting the hills along the coast. It was incredible to have them drift past at eye level and then pass way below us a little later. It was also quite a unique experience for me to watch them flying out over the sea.

What magnificent birds!