Cassin's hawk-eagle

Cassin's hawk-eagle
Cassin's hawk-eagle at Mt. Cameroon
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Aquila
Species:
A. africana
Binomial name
Aquila africana
(Cassin, 1865)[2]
Synonyms

[3]

  • Spizaetus africanus (Cassin, 1865)
  • Hieraaetus africanus (Cassin, 1865)
  • Cassinaetus africanus (Cassin, 1865)

Cassin's hawk-eagle (Aquila africana) or Cassin's eagle, is a relatively small eagle in the family Accipitridae. Its feathered legs mark it as member of the Aquilinae or booted eagle subfamily. A forest-dependent species, it occurs in primary rainforests across western, central and (marginally) eastern Africa where it preys on birds and tree squirrels. It was named after John Cassin who first described it in 1865. Due to widespread habitat destruction, its populations are steadily declining but have not yet warranted upgrading its status from Least Concern.

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2017). "Aquila africana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22696138A111714549. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22696138A111714549.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Helbig, AJ; Kocum, A; Seibold, I; Braun, MJ (2005). "A multi-gene phylogeny of aquiline eagles (Aves: Accipitriformes) reveals extensive paraphyly at the genus level" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 35 (1): 147–164. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.10.003. PMID 15737588.
  3. ^ "Cassin's Hawk Eagle Aquila africana (Cassin, 1865)". Avibase. Denis Lepage. Retrieved 31 October 2016.