Bat Hawk
The Bat Hawk has slate-grey plumage, white belly markings and yellow facial skin. Males are smaller than females. Information on characteristics and
Appearance
The male animals remain on average significantly smaller than the females. A special feature of this bird is its plumage, which shimmers mainly in blue-grey and grey-brown. In addition, the belly has a white coloration that forms a pattern with darker color. An even more distinctive feature of the Western Banded Snake-eagle is its face, which has yellow skin around the eyes and up to the beak. This is almost identical to the color of the beak, giving the bird an optically elongated face. The tip of the beak is black and curved downwards.
Lifestyle
The habitat of the Western Banded Snake-eagle is in countries south of the Sahara Desert. These birds are mainly found in Senegal up to Ethiopia but also further south. The preferred habitats are: open forests, savannas and flat landscapes with few trees or bushes. It is important that there is a body of water near the territory, as the Western Banded Snake-eagle must drink regularly.
Diet
What kind of lifestyle can be expected from these eagles? These animals are loners, only meeting with conspecifics for mating. Once they have found a suitable partner, they live in pairs until the young are fledged and can fend for themselves. The most popular prey of the Western Banded Snake-eagle are snakes, which it catches on the ground in a dive with its sharp talons. However, other birds and small mammals are also on the bird's menu if the opportunity for hunting arises. In rare cases, carrion also serves as food for these animals.
