Martial Eagle
Martial EagleMartial EagleMartial EagleMartial Eagle

Martial Eagle

Polemaetus bellicosus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
<5% · Rare
overall probability at iSimangaliso Wetland Park
45 Verified records at iSimangaliso Wetland Park
August Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

<5% of wildlife watchers report a Martial Eagle sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 45 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Black Kite
LC

Black Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Milvus migrans

40–50% · Likely
African Fish-Eagle
LC

African Fish-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haliaeetus vocifer

20–30% · Possible
Brown Snake Eagle
LC

Brown Snake Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Circaetus cinereus

10–20% · With luck
Black-breasted Snake Eagle
LC

Black-breasted Snake Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Circaetus pectoralis

10–20% · With luck
African Harrier-Hawk
LC

African Harrier-Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Polyboroides typus

10–20% · With luck
Common Buzzard
LC Endemic

Common Buzzard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo buteo

10–20% · With luck
African Marsh-Harrier
LC

African Marsh-Harrier

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Circus ranivorus

10–20% · With luck
Fasciated Snake Eagle
NT

Fasciated Snake Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Circaetus fasciolatus

10–20% · With luck
African Cuckoo-Hawk
LC

African Cuckoo-Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aviceda cuculoides

5–10% · With luck
Ayres's Hawk-Eagle
LC

Ayres's Hawk-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hieraaetus ayresii

5–10% · With luck
Long-crested Eagle
LC

Long-crested Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lophaetus occipitalis

5–10% · Rare
Crowned Eagle
NT

Crowned Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Stephanoaetus coronatus

5–10% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
5–10
Feb
5–10
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
5–10
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
<5
Nov
5–10
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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

# Park Country Probability
1 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
30–40%
2 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
30–40%
3 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
4 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
5 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
20–30%
6 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
20–30%
7 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
20–30%
8 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
20–30%
9 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
10 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
10–20%
11 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
12 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
13 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
14 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
15 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
16 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
17 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
18 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
10–20%
19 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
10–20%
20 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
10–20%
21 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
22 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
23 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
24 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
10–20%
25 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
26 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
27 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
10–20%
28 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
5–10%
29 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
30 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
5–10%
31 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
5–10%
32 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
5–10%
33 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
5–10%
34 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
5–10%
35 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
5–10%
36 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
5–10%
37 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
38 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
39 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
40 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
41 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
<5%
42 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
43 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
44 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
45 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
46 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
47 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
Insufficient data
48 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
49 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
50 Bale Mountains National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Insufficient data
51 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Martial Eagle in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?

About 3% of wildlife watchers report a Martial Eagle sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 45 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Martial Eagle in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for Martial Eagle in iSimangaliso Wetland Park in our monthly data.

← Back to iSimangaliso Wetland Park