Ornithology of the Matopo District. 205 



61. J Helotarsus ecaudatus. Bateleur Eagle. 



Sind. "inqonqolu." 



Noticed very commonly at Fortusher in 1908, and later 

 also in outside localities, but subsequent observations have 

 shown it not so numerous within the ^Nlatopos as one might 

 at first be naturally led to expect. I have never seen this 

 Eagle attack snakes, but a native told me that he had seen 

 a Bateleur rising from the side of a kopje with " a devourer 

 of conies^' (probably Naia haie Linn.j African Cobra) in its 

 talons. My own observations, however^ tend to prove that 

 this species is more of a carrion-feeder than anything else, 

 except perhaps during the nesting season, although at times 

 it is true that, like so many of our birds, this Eagle feeds 

 voraciously on locusts. Bateleurs court in April and May, 

 and are busy with the cares of nidificatiou from then 

 until August or September. On the 12th of August, 1908, 

 I found a nest built into the fork of a large " mpapapa '^ 

 tree overhanging a precipitous wall of granite. Whilst 

 climbing up to get a view of this nest, I noticed a marauding 

 E/iughals {Corvultur albicoliis) harassing the male Eagle, and 

 no sooner had the female, which was in immature plumage, 

 flown off, than down swept the Raven and succeeded in 

 rending to pieces the newly-hatched nestling before I could 

 attain a suitable position to shoot from ; only, however, to 

 be knocked off the nest — a mangle of mass and blood and 

 feathers — by a bullet from my Lee-Enfield, the only weapon 

 I happened to have with me, and in its turn possibly to 

 become food for the Bateleurs which it iiad plundered. 



The fully adult plumage in the female, distinguishable 

 from the male by the broad black edging to the secondaries, 

 does not seem to be attained until the fourth year. The 

 third year's plumage I believe to be veiy little different, 

 however, from the fourth's, albeit still considerably speckled 

 with brownish feathers ; whilst the second year's is practi- 

 cally similar to that of the first year's, with cere and feet 

 bluish, and perhaps lacking the light emarginations to many 

 of the feathers of the mantle and underparts. I also believe 

 that the female is not infrequently to be found breeding 

 in immature plumage. 



