Description:

The Congo land eagle (Arapazaetus congolensis) is a species of land eagle that inhabits the Congo Savannah region of Africa. Although they look similar to secretary birds, they are descended from the Aquila genus (the genus including golden eagles.) Researchers theorize that they evolved from a species of savannah-dwelling eagle that took the role of secretary birds. After millions of years, the land eagles lost the ability to fly and started to prey on medium-sized and large mammals in the region. This line led to the largest eagle to exist, which is the Congo land eagle. These eagles are 2.3 to 3 meters tall and weigh about 250 pounds. Males tend to be smaller than females overall, but other than that there are few morphological differences. They have a red body, white head, black tail feathers, light-brown crest of feathers, black beak with yellow skin around the face, and long dark yellow legs. A claw is on the end of each toe. These toes grow quickly due to a gene that leads to increased keratin production. This is due to their claw being necessary to complete their hunts. Their wings are significantly reduced compared to their ancestors, which is typical for the group. They can, however, use their wings to help them balance themselves while jumping on prey. They usually live about 20 years in the wild but can live 40 years in captivity.

Distribution:

They inhabit the open grassland, thorny desert scrubland, and wooded savanna of the African continent. They prefer habitats with high populations of prey to feed off of.

 Diet:

The diet of adult Congo land eagles mainly consists of small medium grazing mammals such as wildryax and jackalopes. Juvenile land eagles primarily eat small mammals, lizards, snakes, and other small creatures.

Hunting Behavior:

These land eagles are semi-frequent pack hunters, meaning that they occasionally in packs. They usually hunt in a group of up to 6, but these packs can reach over 10. These packs often break up and form depending on the resources available in an area. The pack will usually try to mob the prey from all sides, pinning the prey down with their sickle claw. Once the prey is dead, the eagles will began to tear the prey apart using their beaks. When hitting smaller prey, however, these birds usually chase and pit them down using their large sickle claw.

Reproduction:

Congo land eagles breed in monogamous pairs and usually take an area to themselves with their pack. Both parents will take turns incubating and protecting the eggs. While one parent takes care of the chick, the other parent will grab food and give it to the other parent. Land eagles usually lay around 2 to 3 eggs. Once the chicks hatch, parents will continue to trade positions of hunting and rearing the chicks. Chicks are born with a coat of gray light feathers. The chicks usually take about a year to reach a size where they can fend for themselves. Usually, only one chick survives till adulthood given the Congo Savannah is hazardous. Once they reach adulthood, most herbivores can still damage them due to their fragile bones and lack of protective skin.