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Bateleur eagle Uganda soars for hours over Uganda’s savannah national parks, the short tail, vivid red facial skin, and distinctive tilting flight immediately identifiable even at great height. The bateleur is one of Africa’s most striking eagles: black with a chestnut back, a bright red face and legs, and a tail so short that it looks almost tailless in flight. Its name comes from the French for an acrobat or tightrope walker, after the way it rocks from side to side as it glides low over the savannah. In Uganda it is seen over the open country of Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo and Lake Mburo. The species is now listed as Endangered.
Bateleur Eagle Uganda: The Short-Tailed Acrobatic Eagle Facts
How to recognise it
In flight, look for long, broad wings held in a shallow V, a very short tail with the feet sticking out behind, and a constant tilting glide. Adult males have a broad black trailing edge to the wings, while females show more white beneath. Young birds are brown and take several years to gain adult colours. Perched, the bare red face and legs stand out, and the colour deepens when the bird is excited.
Behaviour and diet
Bateleurs spend much of the day on the wing, covering long distances at low height as they search for food. They eat a wide range of prey, including snakes, small mammals, birds and lizards, and often scavenge carrion, sometimes arriving first at a carcass and attracting vultures. Pairs nest in large trees and raise a single chick, which grows slowly, so populations recover slowly from losses.
Why it is declining
Across Africa, bateleur numbers have fallen sharply, and the IUCN moved the species to Endangered in 2020. The main threats are poisoning, often from baits put out to kill predators that attack livestock, loss of habitat outside protected areas, and the slow breeding rate. Like other scavengers, bateleurs depend increasingly on national parks. See our guides to the martial eagle and the African fish eagle.
Where to see bateleurs in Uganda
Scan the sky on game drives in Murchison Falls north of the Nile, Queen Elizabeth’s Kasenyi plains and Ishasha, Kidepo’s Narus Valley and Lake Mburo. Mid-morning, when warm air rises, is often best. See our guide to Kidepo Valley. A Uganda birding trip can combine raptors with Bwindi’s forest birds and gorilla trekking, where the permit costs US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November. See our guide to Uganda birding.
Frequently asked questions
From the French for an acrobat or tightrope walker, after its rocking flight.
Yes, listed as Endangered by the IUCN since 2020.
Over the savannahs of Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo and Lake Mburo.
Snakes, small mammals, birds and carrion.
