Diet
The Martial Eagle is one of the world's most powerful avian predators and, among African raptors, only the Crowned Eagle is comparable in predatory dominance. The Martial Eagle is an apex predator, being at the top of the avian food chain in its environment and, if in healthy condition, having no natural predators. Although the ranges of the Martial and Crowned Eagles occasionally abut each other, the species have differing habitat preferences, with the Crowned preferring denser forests as opposed to the wooded savanna preferred by the Martial Eagle, and the two are not known to compete directly. The diet of the Martial Eagle varies greatly with prey availability and can be dictated largely by opportunity. One study of the eagles in Kruger National Park found that 45% of their diet was made up of birds, particularly game birds and Egyptian Geese. Reptiles, especially lizards like monitor lizards and snakes, including Cape cobras, boomslangs, puff adders, both green mambas, and even young black mambas and African Rock Pythons, made up 38%. The remaining 17% of prey in the study were made up of mammalian prey (which is detailed below).
Among bird prey, Martial Eagles often choose to predate medium-sized ground-dwelling species such as francolins, guineafowl or bustards. Other birds predated have included young Ostriches, storks, herons, other waterfowl, hornbills and quelea flocks. At one eyrie, the remains of six Spotted Eagle-Owls were counted. Martial Eagle occasionally predate adult Kori Bustard, which are possibly the heaviest flying animal alive today. In some areas mammals constitute the greater part of the diet than birds or reptiles. Among regular mammal prey are hares, hyraxes, mongooses, squirrels, springhares, rats, genets, foxes, baboons, other monkeys, young warthogs dikdiks, young impala and various other young or small antelope. Large and formidable prey are not unheard of, with carnivores such as caracal, servals and Black-backed Jackals having been predated by this eagle. Martial Eagles have predated adult duikers weighing up to 37 kg (82 lbs), perhaps the heaviest live prey item recorded for any wild raptor. Oversized prey, being any that are notably heavier than the eagle itself, are returned to repeatedly after the kill for feeding by both members of a breeding pair, since it is too heavy to take flight with or carry in flight. However, most prey items weigh under 5 kg (11 lb). Martial Eagles may additionally attack domestic livestock, including poultry, lambs and young goats, but this is never a great part of the diet.
The Martial Eagle hunts mostly in flight, circling high above its territory, and stooping sharply to catch its prey by surprise. Prey may be spotted from 3 to 5 kilometers away. On occasion, they may still-hunt from a high perch or concealed in vegetation near watering holes. Unusually for a bird of its size, it may hover while hunting. Birds are typically killed on the ground or in trees, but there are records of bird prey being killed in mid-flight.
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