and pigeons, it soars high above the ground to search for prey. It is unique for a Aquilinae eagle in its falcon-like highly aerial method for hunting birds on the wing, an aptitude it shares with the Asian rufous-bellied eagle. Favored in diet in some areas are laughing doves and red-eyed doves. Once a bird has been singled out, the eagle stoops to intercept it in mid air. Other than birds it has been recorded as catching a few mammals including bush squirrels, and fruit bats. They are an exceptional agile and fast eagle and can overtake many birds in flight. The Ayres's hawk-eagle predominantly hunt quite small birds, typically weighing from , and can sometimes include nestling birds in their diet. However, it quite commonly takes heavier birds than in the aforementioned weight range, including rock pigeons and African grey hornbills. Sometimes they will overtake birds up to over twice their size including white-faced whistling ducks, assorted francolins and guineafowls and even other birds of prey including gabar goshawks and shikras. Ayres's hawk-eagle is a monogamous, territorial solitary nester. The nest consists of a large platform of a twigs and sticks, lined with green leaves and typically concealed in the fork within a well-leafed, large tree, usually from above the ground. The nest can be from across. Eggs are laid from April to September, peaking in April and May. A single egg is laid, measuring on average . The female is almost solely responsible for incubation which takes about 43 days, the male brings her food every two to three days. The chick is fed almost daily, fledging at about 73 days old and becoming fully independent from its parents approximately three months after fledging. Conservation status Although Ayres's hawk-eagle is an uncommon bird throughout its range, it is classified as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN, due to its large range and its numbers, while small, appearing stable at the present time. The estimated global population is only 1000 to 10,000 individuals. The main threat faced by the species is cutting of woodland. Furthermore, it is persecuted at times for hunting down domestic pigeons. References External links (Ayres's hawk-eagle = ) Ayres' eagle - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds Ayres's hawk-eagle Birds of prey of Sub-Saharan Africa Ayres's hawk-eagle Ayres's hawk-eagle Taxonomy articles created by Polbot