Banded Snake-Eagle Circaetus cinerascens Scientific name definitions

60 cm; 1126 g; wingspan 114 cm. Stocky appearance with slightly barred underparts, extensive orange-yellow base to bill (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) and single pale bar across short tail distinguish from <em>C. fasciolatus</em> . Could also be confused <em>C. cinereus</em> , but latter is much larger and has greyish-white cere and legs (yellow in present species) (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Individually variable in colour and barring, but females tend to be darker than males (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Juvenile brown above and on tail with white head and underparts; intermediate plumage all dark brown.

Senegambia E to W Ethiopia, then S to R Zambezi, occurring S to Angola, NE Namibia and Botswana in W, and to Zimbabwe and Mozambique in E.

Riverine forest, gallery forest and woodland associated with riparian systems; does not enter lowland rain forest, but does forage in cultivated areas and thornbush (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Recorded from sea level to 2000 m (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Usually sedentary within linear riverine forest habitats, but may move seasonally into adjacent parts of E Africa in Aug–Feb (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), or S in wet season (Jun–Sept) (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) into Guinea woodland of W Africa.

Mainly small (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) snakes up to 75 cm (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) but also small monitor lizards, small tortoises, rodents, amphibia and some fish and insects. Perches on open limbs among forest trees, taking most prey from the ground but some from foliage and trunks. Sedentary in small area of forest, making only short flights when changing perch. Snakes crushed by neck and then swallowed whole (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Calls regularly, both perched and in flight, especially in early morning; mainly gives a loud, rapid  "kok-kok-kok-kok-ko-ho", which drops at end, and a mournful  "ko-waaa" (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Nestling is also noisy, giving loud, food-begging calls (2 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ).

Laying Dec–Apr in Zambia and Feb–Apr in Malawi (3 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ); Dec–Mar (2 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ) in Zimbabwe; suspected Jan–Feb in NE Africa, nest-building in Aug in Uganda (4 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ) and Jul in NE Zaire; no breeding recorded in W Africa, but suspected breeding pair in Mar in Ghana. Vocal within forest, especially prior to nesting, and may also perform diving flight display. Builds small, saucer-shaped platform (50–60 cm wide and 15–20 cm deep) (2 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ) of sticks lined with green leaves and (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) well concealed within canopy (9–18 m above ground) (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), often two-thirds (2 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ) of way up tall thorny tree (e.g. Garcinia livingstonii Acacia nigrescens, A. polyacantha and Brachystegia boehmii) (2 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ), and almost invariably among Bauhinia, Jasmium or Capparis (2 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ) creepers. Nest is not reused in consecutive seasons (2 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ). Single white egg very well marked with lilac-grey and red-brown scrawls and spots (2 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ), 66 mm × 52 mm (2 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ); incubated c. 46 days (2 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ); chick has first down white, second down fawn; fledging c. 56 days.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Locally common but with patchy linear distribution. Vulnerable to degradation of riverine habitat, e.g. in NE Namibia, where only 14 pairs now estimated to occur. Not known to be affected by pesticides.