Data Zone
Taxonomic note
Hieraaetus wahlbergi (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) was previously placed in the genus Aquila.
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Least Concern | |
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2013 | Least Concern | |
| 2012 | Least Concern | |
| 2009 | Least Concern | |
| 2008 | Least Concern | |
| 2004 | Least Concern | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 20,000,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 16,200,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 67000-670000 mature individuals | poor | suspected | 2001 |
| Population trend | stable | - | suspected | - |
| Generation length | 7.61 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: The most common eagle in South and Central Africa (Kemp and Kirwan 2020). Ferguson-Lees and Christie (2001) place the total population at 100,000-1,000,000 individuals, roughly equating to 67,000-670,000 mature individuals.
Trend justification: The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats. In Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger the population decreased slightly within protected areas between 1969-1973 and 2000-2004 and was not found at all during the 2000-2004 counts outside protected areas (Thiollay 2007). Possible declines have been reported from several countries in southern Africa however a general population decline has not been detected (Global Raptor Information Network 2015).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | extant | native | ||||
| Benin | extant | native | ||||
| Botswana | extant | native | ||||
| Burkina Faso | extant | native | ||||
| Burundi | extant | native | ||||
| Cameroon | extant | native | ||||
| Central African Republic | extant | native | ||||
| Chad | extant | native | ||||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | extant | native | ||||
| Côte d'Ivoire | extant | native | ||||
| Eritrea | extant | native | ||||
| Eswatini | extant | native | ||||
| Ethiopia | extant | native | ||||
| Gabon | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Gambia | extant | native | ||||
| Ghana | extant | native | ||||
| Guinea | extant | native | ||||
| Guinea-Bissau | extant | native | ||||
| Kenya | extant | native | ||||
| Liberia | extant | native | ||||
| Malawi | extant | native | ||||
| Mali | extant | native | ||||
| Mauritania | extant | native | ||||
| Mozambique | extant | native | ||||
| Namibia | extant | native | ||||
| Niger | extant | native | ||||
| Nigeria | extant | native | ||||
| Rwanda | extant | native | ||||
| Senegal | extant | native | ||||
| Sierra Leone | extant | native | ||||
| Somalia | extant | native | ||||
| South Africa | extant | native | ||||
| South Sudan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Sudan | extant | native | ||||
| Tanzania | extant | native | ||||
| Togo | extant | native | ||||
| Uganda | extant | native | ||||
| Zambia | extant | native | ||||
| Zimbabwe | extant | native |
| Country/Territory | IBA Name |
|---|
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Plantations | suitable | breeding |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | resident |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland | suitable | resident |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | resident |
| Savanna | Dry | suitable | resident |
| Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical Dry | suitable | resident |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | suitable | resident |
| Altitude | 0 - 1800 m | Occasional altitudinal limits | (max) 2800 m |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Unintentional effects (species is not the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest] | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | international |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Species factsheet: Wahlberg's Eagle Hieraaetus wahlbergi. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/wahlbergs-eagle-hieraaetus-wahlbergi on 15/01/2025.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2025) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 15/01/2025.