About Circaetus fasciolatus Kaup, 1847
The southern banded snake eagle (scientific name Circaetus fasciolatus Kaup, 1847) is a rather small, stocky snake eagle with a large, rounded head and a hooded beak. It has a grey-brown head that contrasts slightly with its mainly blackish-brown upperparts and whitish underparts. The tail has a white tip, and three distinct dark bands are visible on its underside. The large eyes are pale yellow, the feet and cere are yellow, and the bill is black. Juvenile southern banded snake eagles do not have a grey head, have mainly dark upperparts, and their whitish pale underparts are marked with dark streaks on the face, throat, and upper breast. The total body length of this species ranges from 55 to 60 cm, and females are larger than males. This species occurs in a narrow band along the east African coast, ranging from southern Somalia to northeastern KwaZulu-Natal, and extends inland along the Save River into southeastern Zimbabwe. The southern banded snake eagle is a forest species. It mainly lives in evergreen coastal forest, and can also be found in dense inland forests near wetlands. It is occasionally recorded in more open woodland areas.
