Watchers Of The Savannah - African Eagles

Masai Mara National Reserve

The African Savannah is a very unique landscape. It's like nothing else and ever since I visited Masai Mara, I’ve always suggested the Savannah to all of my city dwelling friends so that they can understand the concept of Big Land. People love the sea and it’s the enormity it that makes us all fall in love with it. The savannah is the same but with the water replaced by almost flat grassland in every direction that you can turn your head towards. In fact, if someone still doubts the shape of our planet, a flight to the African Savannah will clear up all those doubts and you'll learn that you don’t need to climb Everest to see the curvature of the earth at all actually. You can see it clear as day in the grasslands of the Savannah. The landscape makes you take a step back initially and it does take some getting used to but it’s a spot that I recommend for sure for its uniqueness and for the better personal understanding of our place in life on Earth. Being there is a beautifully humbling experience among other things.

There are very few trees in the Savannah and it’s all mostly grass with bushes scattered in between. The landscape is perfect for spotting the larger residents from a while away and planning your shots accordingly and an off-road permit for your vehicle lets you take that even further unhindered. The trees are perfect location markers while travelling in that landscape and there are spots with trees and bushes cluttered together in between as well. That’s the prime real estate for shade, security and social living among the residents big and small there and the treetops are where the larger birds of that landscape are usually found keeping an eye on the ongoings from a vantage point that allows them to use their superior vision to their advantage. Vultures and Eagles are the sentinels who are seen on the treetops usually although other larger birds like the Secretary Bird also build their nests high up and those guys usually return to their nests in the evenings when safari vehicles aren’t around.

Eagles are Apex Predators and their presence on flags from time immemorial to even today is proof enough of how they are perceived by Humans. We’re in awe of these creatures and for good reason and the open African Savannah is where the Eagle shines the brightest with its talents. The clear and uncluttered line of sight that the Savannah provides helps Eagles use their unmatched Eagle Vision to pretty much watch for any movement even when they are at rest on their treetops. Every landscape comes with its own set of challenges for us photographers though and the thing here is that there’s no way for us to get close to the treetops even with our 600mms. So, you’re gonna be far from your large birds in that landscape usually and there’s nothing that can be done about that. Details are not on the menu with Eagles there but the chances of seeing quite a few kinds of them perched and keeping an eye on the place are plentiful.

We ran into quite a few Black Chested Snake Eagles ( Pics 1 – 4 ) during our time in the Mara. They stood out cause of the cape like design of the dark feathers on their chests that they’re named after and that look made them stand out for me as well. It makes them very easy to identify and the big eyes on these guys makes them stand out among their kind. I wish that I’d developed my interest in birds by the time I got to Mara but then I hadn’t and I’m certain that I lost a lot of chances at good images of Birds due to a lack of interest in stopping for a bird species after I’d recorded what I though were decent images of the species. That being how it is, I do have that trip to Masai Mara to thank for the interest in birds that developed as a result of the trip actually though.

These guys are snake specialists like the Serpent Eagles that I wrote about in “Apex On The Indian Sky”. They use the vantage points that you see them on to spot snakes which are their primary prey. Going after snakes is a pretty smart evolutionary tactic cause most predators avoid snakes and this specialization keeps these guys away from competition with all the other predators who might be after similar prey. Beasts often go to war over prey and resources just like Humans and these birds have developed a system that pretty much keeps them out of a lot of unnecessary conflict in the long run. These guys are found throughout Southern and East Africa and in Acadia, Woodland, Grassland and Savannah habitats. They’re not picky as long as they have their prey in close vicinity and they’re in a position to keep an eye on everything around. You can just tell when one of these guys is focused on you just as you are on him through the telephoto cause of those big yellow eyes. Many Eagles don’t hold their stare when you catch them staring, these guys just hold it none the less and I know that I’d like to meet one at closer proximity for sure.

We ran into just one Martial Eagle in our two weeks in the Mara and this guy ( Pics : 5 – 6 ) was outright scary. He was in a wooded area with bush and I’d missed him on our approach. My first glance at him when I heard David’s call made me jump in my seat cause this guy was right above us and staring down right at us intimidatingly. I’d never imagined an Eagle that big and this grown adult was above 30 inches in all and staring right at me when I got a good look at him. For a bird that big, their eyes are pretty much the same size as ours but turbo charged with Eagle Vision. They can see clearly well over 5 kms away. Given their size, these guys go after much larger prey and if you’re travelling with a baby in the African Savannah, Id honestly advise against an open vehicle cause of these guys. Yeah really ! They are known to even snatch lion cubs from the pride.

The Martial eagle is the largest Eagle in Africa and is found all over Sub Saharan Africa. They’re not as easy to come by as the other Eagles found in the continent and these guys are known to spend a lot of time on the wing. They prefer their privacy and as such are rare sightings for Humans as was the case with us. They are shy of humans in comparison to the other Eagles found in Africa and perhaps we should be thankful about that character trait of the species cause they are one of the most powerful avian species of the world. Their ferocious efficiency in predation has earned them the nickname of ‘The Leopard Of The Air’ and these birds are on top of the avian food chain in their range. These guys are known take on dangerous predators in broad daylight just cause they can and the Martial to me is a lot scarier than an individual Lion could ever be cause you just won’t see the martial coming if and when he does. Despite it’s advantages in size and hunting prowess, these birds are classified as Endangered today and that pretty much has a lot to do with the world just not being as hospitable to big birds these days with the world’s resources and environment now being shaped by Humans.

Unlike the rarely seen Martial, the Tawnie Eagle (Pics : 7 – 10) was present on a lot of perches on tall trees in Masai Mara. I got back to India to discover that there guys supposedly range in Africa and India but I have not encountered them in India myself. These guys were observably a lot more relaxed around Humans as was their gaze on seeing us. They are not migratory and can sometimes be locally nomadic. These Eagles are polymorphic which means that the plumage of individual birds can be variable and they are well documented to be adept in stealing kills from the talons of other raptors. These thieving bullies also have a very adaptive diet and they are often seen getting their share of a carcass after Vultures have torn open the hide of the dead animal. They range all across Africa and are seen in semi desert, desert and savannah regions of the continent. Despite their adaptability, the species is still classified as Vulnerable due to poisoning and other Human related threats that they face in their range.

The African Fish Eagle, like the Martial Eagle was a rarity and we encountered only the two during one sighting that you see here (Pics : 11 – 12) and that’s probably cause these guys prefer to stay by the water and the Mara is mostly grass. They’re fairly common and seen often in Sub Saharan Africa and around, freshwater lakes, reservoirs and rivers around the continent. These birds are on the national flag of Zimbabwe and fishing’s their game of choice. It’s a choice that has it’s benefits like in the case of the Serpent specialists and I guess we were just in the wrong spots to watch these guys do what they are actually famous for. That said though, the photo that looks like one of them is tiptoeing on that branch in Pic 12 is definitely one of the funniest pictures that I got to make on that trip.

Eagles come in different shapes, sizes and with different evolutionary specializations. It’s pretty much the same with the ones that I’ve encountered in India as well. The Eagles that we encountered on our trip to Masai Mara sadly doesn’t include a few other species which are also seen in that eco system and we didn’t catch all the species that roam those great grasslands. One of the reasons perhaps to go back and try and do better with images as well. Guess we will see about that huh?

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