Biology

The long-crested eagle feeds almost entirely on small rodents, but will also occasionally take small birds, lizards, arthropods, fish and fruit (2) (4). Spending extended periods on a prominent perch, it scans the ground below, swooping down sporadically on exposed prey (2) (6). Although predominately sedentary, long-crested eagles are known be somewhat nomadic in regions that experience significant seasonal variation in rainfall (6). Breeding generally takes place during the wet season, but timing is fairly erratic and probably coincides with fluctuations in rodent populations (2) (6). One to two eggs are incubated in a stick nest, built in an upper fork of a tall tree, on the edge of a forest or woodland. The downy chicks hatch after around 42 days and usually fledge after another 53 to 58 days (2).