Martial Eagle
Polemaetus bellicosus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae (Accipítrids)
- GenusPolemaetus (Martial Eagles)
- SpeciesPolemaetus bellicosus (Martial Eagle)
The martial eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) is a large eagle native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is the only member of the genus Polemaetus. A species of the booted eagle subfamily (Aquilinae), it has feathers over its tarsus. One of the largest and most powerful species of booted eagle, it is a fairly opportunistic predator that varies its prey selection between mammals, birds and reptiles. It is one of few eagle species known to hunt primarily from a high soar, by stooping on its quarry. This species, an inhabitant of wooded belts of otherwise open savanna, has shown a precipitous decline in the last few centuries due to a variety of factors. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Martial Eagle sighting in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, based on 18 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Augur Buzzard
Buteo augur
African Harrier-Hawk
Polyboroides typus
Mountain Buzzard
Buteo oreophilus
Crowned Eagle
Stephanoaetus coronatus
Long-crested Eagle
Lophaetus occipitalis
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Cassin's Hawk-Eagle
Aquila africana
Palmnut Vulture
Gypohierax angolensis
Lizard Buzzard
Kaupifalco monogrammicus
Common Buzzard
Buteo buteo
Ayres's Hawk-Eagle
Hieraaetus ayresii
Wahlberg's Eagle
Hieraaetus wahlbergi
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Martial Eagle in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
About 1% of wildlife watchers report a Martial Eagle sighting in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, based on 18 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Martial Eagle in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Martial Eagle in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in our monthly data.