driven out by adults on territory during the breeding season and then often wander widely before returning for the non-breeding season. Recoveries of juveniles in southern Africa show that individuals have been recovered at assorted distances from their nests of origin ranging from as far as away. It was noted that in some cases, heavier rainfall may have caused farther afield dispersals. Thermoregulation Bateleurs seem to devote an exceptional amount of time to thermoregulation frequently spending much of its day variously sunning, to warm up, and bathing, to cool off. These eagles are frequently seen to enter water-bodies for a bath and then open their wings to often sunbathe. Standing upright and holding their wings straight out to the sides and tipped vertically, a classic 'phoenix' pose as they turn to follow the sun. Bateleurs will stand on the ground with their wings spread, exposing the feathers to direct sunlight, warming the oils in the feathers. The bird will then spread the oils with its beak to improve its aerodynamics. In some countries, local nicknames of the species may include as the "Conifer eagle" or "Pine eagle" due to its feathers resembling a conifer cone when fluffed up and engaging in thermoregulatory behaviour. At times, this is described as a “striking heraldic posture”. Bateleurs may also be seen "praying" allowing ants to crawl over the wings and feathers, collecting bits of food, dead feather and skin material. When covered in ants, the bateleur then ruffles its feathers, startling the ants, which react by secreting formic acid as self-defence. This in turn kills the ticks and fleas, possibly ridding the host of its parasites. Dietary biology The bateleur is a dietary generalist. This species generally forages from flight, flying mostly low and straight whilst scanning the ground, periodically banking and retracing section of track when possible foods are spotted. Their hunting range can be truly enormous ranging in some cases up to . Bateleurs may spend up to 8–9 hours or up to 80% of daylight on the wing, perhaps largely for hunting and foraging purposes, and have reported to have even covered as much as in a single day. When potential prey or food is spotted, they then descend in tight spirals to check it out. The bateleur is a very effective discoverer of carrion at all times and often is the first to come to large carcasses or roadkills.