Martial eagles are impressive hunters, famous for taking down prey larger than themselves. Their hunting prowess is probably why they were named after the Roman god of war. However, despite their strength, these powerful birds are declining and could face extinction without urgent conservation efforts.
My experience
My most memorable observation of this eagle was at Mokala National Park. It was early spring. I was watching a herd of black wildebeest with their young calves. Suddenly, they started running. Out of nowhere, a massive martial eagle swooped down towards some of the calves. I froze in disbelief. Several adult wildebeest kicked upwards defensively. The raptor flew away unsuccessfully, but its optimism and bravery in taking on such large prey have always stuck with me.
Interesting facts
Martial eagles are the largest eagles in Africa (2.4–5.2 kg, wingspan: 1.9–2.4 m), with females being significantly larger than males. They spend most of their time flying, looking for prey. They usually catch their prey by diving down from the air. Their speed, combined with their powerful talons, allows them to land a powerful blow, often instantly fatal.
Diet
While black wildebeest are not usually on their menu, female martial eagles often prey on calves of small antelope like duiker, impala, and gazelle. They mostly prey on animals weighing 1-5 kg, such as monitor lizards, snakes, rabbits, and guinea fowl (Hatfield, 2018; Naude et al., 2019) but often catch prey weighing almost 10 kg (Hatfield, 2018; Naude et al., 2019).
Could a martial eagle take down a wildebeest calf?
A newborn black wildebeest calf weighs 14 kg – slightly heavier than their usual prey – but there are records of martial eagles attacking adult steenbok (~11 kg) (Pienaar, 1969 and included photos by Kenneth Smith) and (unsuccessfully) a hartebeest calf (~15 kg) (Elliott, 1984). So the martial eagle’s attempt on a 14+ kg black wildebeest calf may have been slightly optimistic, but I would not say it is impossible. A similarly-sized golden eagle (4-5 kg) was once recorded on a camera trap killing a young sika deer, estimated at 40-50 kg (Kerley and Slaght, 2013).
Range and habitat
Martial eagles occur throughout sub-Saharan Africa in woodlands, savannas, grasslands and semi-deserts (Tate, 2025). They need large trees to nest, but open space to spot and hunt prey. They prefer undisturbed areas. However, habitat loss has, in some areas, forced them into agricultural areas, leading to conflict with livestock farmers.
Reproduction
They usually lay one egg every year or every second year. Chicks fledge after ~100 days but remain dependent on their parents for almost another year (Tate, 2025). Juvenile martial eagles have light plumage and only attain adult plumage at 6 years of age.
Conservation status
Recently uplisted
The martial eagle was uplisted from Vulnerable to Endangered (BirdLife International, 2020) due to rapid population declines. However, recent evidence suggests that they should be uplisted to Critically Endangered (Shaw et al., 2024). Threats include poisoning, habitat loss, reduced prey availability, and powerline collisions.
Threats
The biggest threat they face is poisoning by farmers in retaliation against or fear of predation on livestock. Additionally, habitat degradation has reduced prey availability in many areas. Martial eagles also face poaching and powerline collisions. While population declines were more pronounced in unprotected areas, populations in protected areas, such as the Kruger National Park, have also declined. Since they have large habitats and hunting grounds, birds living in protected areas are vulnerable to poisoning and poaching when they hunt in unprotected areas.
Conservation actions
Population studies
Studies by the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) have shown declines in the Kruger National Park (Van Eeden, 2016) and the Karoo (Doherty, 2023) populations, driven by high mortality rates. Many of these deaths were due to unnatural causes. Since they are slow-reproducing birds, populations cannot recover quickly.
Reducing mortality
Since mortality rates drive population declines, it is vital to prevent as many martial eagle deaths as possible. The EWT is raising awareness among farmers to reduce the poisoning of eagles (Tate, 2025). To avoid martial eagle collisions with wind turbines, the EWT and the FitzPatrick Institute are studying GPS movements of martial eagles to develop a collision risk map to prevent wind energy developments in high collision-risk areas in South Africa (Tate, 2025).
Conclusion
The martial eagle is a magnificent predator. Their rapid decline calls for urgent action to ensure their survival. Protected areas are vital to the survival of martial eagles and other threatened species, underscoring the importance of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP15 target to conserve 30% of land by 2030 (Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework). Additionally, since martial eagles (especially sub-adults) travel large distances, threats outside of protected areas, such as poisoning and infrastructure collisions, need to be addressed. Current research and conservation projects are monitoring population numbers, raising awareness, and building risk models to prevent collisions with infrastructure.
