Bateleur

Terathopius ecaudatus

Nearly tailless raptor that rolls and tilts like an acrobat in flight. Patrols up to 300 miles of African savanna daily.

Population: Roughly tens of thousands of individuals globally (BirdLife International 2016 puts it as "tens of thousands"; an older Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001 density-based estimate suggests up to ~180,000 including immatures); declining, with regional collapses documented (e.g. ~75% drop in southern Africa, largely confined to protected areas in South Africa)
Habitat: Open savanna, bushy/Acacia woodland, mopane and miombo woodland, and semi-desert/pre-desert fringe; avoids dense forest, high mountains, and true desert
Fun fact: The Bateleur spends up to 80% of its daylight hours on the wing and can cover 300-500 km a day while patrolling its territory, rocking side to side in flight in a way that reminded French namers of a tightrope-walking street performer ("bateleur").
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa from West Africa through central, East, and southern Africa, with a small historical range into southwestern Arabia; range has contracted substantially, especially in southern Africa where it is now largely confined to protected areas
Diet: Generalist carnivore/scavenger — recorded taking roughly 160 prey species (mammals ~55%, birds ~24%, reptiles ~18% of diet by one study), including small-to-medium mammals, game birds, reptiles (including venomous snakes), fish, and carrion
Size: 0.6 m
Wingspan: 1.8 m
Lifespan: 27 years

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