Blog: Sightings
Guests witness spectacular hunt
One of the most frequently asked questions from guests is “are we going to be able to witness a hunt.” Well yesterday morning we were fortunate enough to witness a hunt in full ‘flight’. The hunter was an African Hawk Eagle, the prey a flock of Helmeted Guineafowl. Not the two species everyone had in mind but nonetheless exciting to watch.
The African Hawk Eagle is a large eagle that stands 60cm high and has a wing span of around 140cm. This powerful predator was using large trees to perch on and dive bomb the flock of Guineafowl, which were desperately seeking cover under small shrubs and fallen trees. We sat and watched these high speed chases with baited breath as the eagle swooped through the vegetation, targeting these ungainly birds who were scuttling off in various directions.
The African Hawk Eagle will prey on a variety of birds, mainly francolin and Guineafowl but will also pursue small mammals such as rodents and mongoose. In this case the eagle didn’t manage to capture a meal but it was certainly a ‘hunt’ worth witnessing.
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