Bateleur

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Bateleur

 

(Terathopius ecaudatus), also bateleur eagle, a predatory bird of the family Falconiformes. Its body length is 55–63 cm, and its tail length about 12 cm. The weight ranges from 1.9 to 2.9 kg. The plumage is black with white, chestnut, and gray; the legs and the skin on the face are red. The bright coloring and distinctive flight of the bird are responsible for its name, which in French means buffoon. The bateleur is distributed in Africa south of the Sahara. Its reproductive period is from November through May in South Africa and from July through November in northeastern Africa. The nests are in trees. The clutch contains a single egg, white or with pale spots. The female incubates the egg for 42 or 43 days. The bateleur feeds on small rodents, reptiles, and carrion.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.