» Ian Nason

» Near Yola, Northern Nigeria

» Nigeria

» February, 1989

» Nikon F801 with 1000mm mirror lens

»Circaetus beaudouini - Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle

»Circaète de Beaudouin

» Vulnerable

» The following comments are from Dick Forsman on the identity of this bird: "I fully agree with Nik Borrow, this is an adult Beaudouin's Snake Eagle, absolutely without any doubt, whatsoever. Note the fine, regular bars on the flanks, which are shown only by this species. The problem is in the books, including Birds of Africa, which do not show the birds as they are. Not one of the current field guides show the barring correctly, not even the latest "Horn of Africa"! As long as the books are wrong, people will remain to have problems with these birds, although their id. in true life is straightforward. The difference in the barring between these two species is "huge", just as Nik has described it. The Short-toed never shows fine and regular bars like this, but always broader and more irregular-looking transversal blotching, which goes across the whole breast, not just restricted to the flanks, as in BSE."