Long-crested Eagle
Lophaetus occipitalis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae (Accipítrids)
- GenusLophaetus
- SpeciesLophaetus occipitalis (Long-crested Eagle)
The long-crested eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis) is an African bird of prey characterised by its shaggy crest of feathers. In the family Accipitridae which includes all the eagles, it is currently placed in a monotypic genus Lophaetus. It is found throughout mid- and southern Africa, with differing home ranges due to food availability and suitable habitat area, but lives mainly on forest edges and near moist areas. Breeding may occur at any time of year, depending on food availability; it lays 1 or 2 eggs as is usual for raptors. It commonly eats smaller mammals, but will also eat other vertebrates and invertebrates. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Long-crested Eagle sighting in Awash National Park, based on 7 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Awash National Park
Dark Chanting-Goshawk
Melierax metabates
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Egyptian Vulture
Neophron percnopterus
Hooded Vulture
Necrosyrtes monachus
Black-winged Kite
Elanus caeruleus
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
African Fish-Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
Short-toed Eagle
Circaetus gallicus
White-backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
Booted Eagle
Hieraaetus pennatus
Ruppell's griffon
Gyps rueppellii
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Long-crested Eagle in Awash National Park?
About 6% of wildlife watchers report a Long-crested Eagle sighting in Awash National Park, based on 7 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Long-crested Eagle in Awash National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Long-crested Eagle in Awash National Park in our monthly data.