Eagles are spectacular birds of prey and famous for their hunting methods – this eagle ambushes a hare from the air and gets to enjoy its meal! This sighting was observed in the Mara North Conservancy, in Masai Mara, Kenya.
Martial eagles are one of the most profound birds of prey in Southern Africa, hunting anything from small birds to large rodents, and have even been spotted hunting monkeys and small antelope. It is one of the few eagle species that hunt from a high vantage point, ambushing their prey. These eagles have a massive wingspan, reaching approximately 1.8 meters (6 feet). They also have impeccable eyesight, which is a huge advantage when it comes to hunting from above.
Shiv Kapila is a 36-year-old director of the Naivasha Raptor Centre and was fortunate enough to capture this sighting. He shares the story with LatestSightings.com:
“My good friend and colleague Stratton Hatfield, and I were heading towards the Tano Bora coalition of 5 male cheetahs. On route, we got distracted by an adult male martial eagle that was hunting. To us, this was way more interesting!”
“As we approached, he flew over a ridgeline looking like he was going to make a kill. At the time, herders were driving cattle that way, and they often flush hares in the long grass. It seemed highly likely that the eagle would succeed. We got to the eagle just after he made his kill. He was moving it around and flying back to it after more herders flushed him off it.”
“I have studied raptors for 13 years now – this is only the second time I’ve seen a Martial kill and eat its prey.”
“My advice would be to keep an eye out for raptors, they are incredible animals! As with any other animals they are unpredictable and you never know what might happen. Birds of prey are capable of hunting and killing large prey and they don’t sleep as much as lions!”
