Verreaux's Eagle
Aquila verreauxii
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae (Accipítrids)
- GenusAquila (True Eagles)
- SpeciesAquila verreauxii (Verreaux's Eagle)
Verreaux's eagle (; Aquila verreauxii) is a large, mostly African, bird of prey. It is also called the black eagle, especially in southern Africa, not to be confused with the black eagle (Ictinaetus malayensis) of south and southeast Asia. The Verreaux's eagle lives in hilly and mountainous regions of southern and eastern Africa (extending marginally into Chad, Mali and Niger), and very locally in the Middle East. Verreaux's eagle is one of the most specialized species of accipitrid in the world, with its distribution and life history revolving around its favorite prey species, the rock hyraxes. When hyrax populations decline, the species have been shown to survive with mixed success on other prey, such as small antelopes, gamebirds, hares, monkeys and other assorted vertebrates. Despite a high degree of specialization, Verreaux's eagle has, from a conservation standpoint, been faring relatively well in historic times. Wikipedia →
40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Verreaux's Eagle sighting in Waterberg Plateau Park, based on 46 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Waterberg Plateau Park
African Hawk-Eagle
Aquila spilogaster
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
Pale Chanting Goshawk
Melierax canorus
Black-winged Kite
Elanus caeruleus
Black-breasted Snake Eagle
Circaetus pectoralis
Jackal Buzzard
Buteo rufofuscus
Cape Griffon
Gyps coprotheres
Augur Buzzard
Buteo augur
White-backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
Gabar Goshawk
Micronisus gabar
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
📅 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 Verreaux's Eagle in Waterberg Plateau Park?
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Verreaux's Eagle sighting in Waterberg Plateau Park, based on 46 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Verreaux's Eagle in Waterberg Plateau Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Verreaux's Eagle in Waterberg Plateau Park in our monthly data.