Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicocus)

One of those perfect eagles. When you imagine an eagle, this would be the size and form one would imagine. Common in certain areas, rare in others within Southern Africa and some drier regions further north.

On the few occasions we have seen them it is usually in flight, never on the ground or trees, so when we stayed at the Red Sands Lodge, near Kuruman in the Northern Cape province, we took our chance to go and visit a raptor rehab center nearby. We saw a martial for the first time, up close, this one had injuries on wings and most birds are brought to the center by farmers in the region who find them injured.

What is nice, but also difficult for taking photographs, is the netting around the sides to minimize the interaction with humans, so I had to find a spot for my point and shoot to "see" through.

An impressive eagle, up to 86 cm high, and those talons are impressive to say the least, preceded by beautiful feathered legs.

Another feature is the short crest on the dark brown head, making him look even more impressive. It was an honor to see this bird, and my hope is to be able to see them close enough in nature to take pictures, but for now, we are happy to at least have been privileged to see this bird, hopefully hunting the skies again, by now.

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Ground-Hornbill