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 →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Martial Eagle sighting in Gonarezhou National Park, based on 28 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Gonarezhou National Park
African Fish-Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
White-backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
African Harrier-Hawk
Polyboroides typus
Brown Snake Eagle
Circaetus cinereus
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
Lappet-faced Vulture
Torgos tracheliotos
African Hawk-Eagle
Aquila spilogaster
Wahlberg's Eagle
Hieraaetus wahlbergi
Hooded Vulture
Necrosyrtes monachus
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Ayres's Hawk-Eagle
Hieraaetus ayresii
📅 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 Gonarezhou National Park?
About 22% of wildlife watchers report a Martial Eagle sighting in Gonarezhou National Park, based on 28 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Martial Eagle in Gonarezhou National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Martial Eagle in Gonarezhou National Park in our monthly data.