Justification This species has been uplisted to Near Threatened because it is suspected to have undergone moderately rapid declines during the past three generations (56 years) owing to habitat loss and incidental poisoning and pollution, and is consequently believed to approach the threshold for classification as Vulnerable.

Family/Sub-family Accipitridae

Species name author (Daudin, 1800)

Taxonomic source(s) Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

30,000

decreasing

29,200,000 km²

No

Range & population Polemaetus bellicosus has an extensive range across much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal and the Gambia east to Ethiopia and north-west Somalia and south to Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. It is generally scarce to uncommon or rare, but is reasonably common in some areas¹. It is suspected to have undergone declines in much of its range, including Namibia³ and Nigeria².

Ecology: It inhabits open woodland, wooded savanna, bushy grassland, thornbush and, in southern Africa, more open country and even subdesert, from sea level to 3,000 m but mainly below 1,500 m¹. The main prey is sizeable mammals, birds and reptiles¹.

Threats The species suffers from direct persecution (shooting and trapping) by farmers, indirect poisoning (these two threats by far the most important causes of losses), drowning in sheer-walled reservoirs, electrocution on power poles, and habitat alteration and degradation⁴. Poisoning is largely carried out by a few large-scale commercial farmers, but is also a problem in tribal small-stock farming communities. Deforestation may be having less of an impact on this species than on other large eagles as it can utilise man-made structures for nesting. Reduction in natural prey may lead to an increase in predation on domestic animals which may in turn lead to increased persecution by farmers. In some areas birds may be taken for use in traditional medicine.

Conservation measures underway A system to compensate farmers for stock losses has been initiated in South Africa.

Conservation measures proposed Introduce programmes combining awareness campaigns and compensation to farmers for stock losses across the species's range. Install anti-electrocution devices on electricity pylons.

References 1. Ferguson-Lees & Christie (2001). 2. P. Hall in litt. (2009). 3. C. Brown in litt. (2009). 4. Global Raptor Information Network (2009).

Text account compilers Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Jonathan Ekstrom (BirdLife International), Matt Harding (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Contributors Abdi Ajama, Neil Baker (Tanzania Bird Atlas Project), Chris Brewster, Chris Brown (Namibia Nature Foundation), Onoja Joseph Daniel (A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute), Philip Hall (Pro Natura International), Stephanie Tyler (BirdLife Botswana)

IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Polemaetus bellicosus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 9/2/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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