About the Durban Crowned Eagle Research Project
With talons longer than a lion’s teeth and a 6 ft wingspan, the African Crowned Eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus) is Africa's most formidable flying forest predator. Despite their size, their compact build give them the agility to maneuver through dense tropical forest where they ambush prey 4 times their size and weighing up to 70 lbs! These specialized hunters target reclusive antelope and arboreal monkeys that other predators cant reach, reducing the pressure they place on young forest vegetation — aiding in the maintnenace and regeneration of tropical forests.
Thanks to an abundance of urban prey these jaw-dropping mega-birds are remarkably adapting to urban life in Durban. With over 90 monitored nests—some in plain view in local backyards — Dr. Shane McPherson leads the Durban African Crowned Eagle Research project utilizes cutting-edge GPS tracking technology and nest cameras to study their breeding success, movements, and interactions with urban environments to understand how these giant birds are coexisting with people in South Africa's third largest city. Shane is the worlds leading expert on the species and he and his research have featured on a number of nature documentary series and films for the BBC and National Geographic, and most recently the award winning series on PBS titled Raptors : A Fistful of Daggers.
Despite their ecological importance, Crowned Eagles are classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, and raptors, in general, are often overlooked in conservation efforts, making research challenging to fund. Imvubu Safaris, currently finances 25% of the project's $10,000 annual budget with the aim of fully funding the project in the next 5 years.
Through this research, we aim to secure the future of Crowned Eagles in both urban and natural landscapes.
