Brown Snake Eagle

Circaetus cinereus

Other Names

  Brown Harrier-Eagle   Circaète brun   Einfarb-Schlangenadler   Culebrera Sombría   Brun ormörn, Mörk ormörn   Bruine Slangenarend   Biancone cenerino

World: Africa, from Senegal and Gambia East to Ethiopia and Somalia and South to central Namibia Botswana northern and north-eastern South Africa.

Kenya: Most common in South and central Kenya, rare in the arid North and East and also in the wetter areas of the North-West.

Fairly common in bush and woodland, the Brown Snake Eagle has an almost owl-like appearance when seen head on. That and the yellow eyes make it fairly easy to distinguish from the other brown eagles found in Kenya. It mainly hunts from trees so isn't often seen in flight.