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First record of Verreaux’s Eagle Aquila verreauxii nesting on the ground Mark D. Anderson andNico Laubscher L’Aigle de Verreaux Aquila verreauxii niche normalement sur des plateformes rocheuses ou, occasionellement, dans des arbres ou sur des structures artificielles. Les auteurs rapportent la premiere observation de nidification a terre, dans un bois &Eucalyptus sur le terrain d une exploitation agricole pres de Fraserburg, Northern Cape Province, Afrique du Sud. Apres qu'un coup de vent eut jete le nid a terre, les aigles ont continue a nicher au sol pendant cinq annees consecutives. Les trois premiers oisillons sont tombes victimes de mammiferes carnivores, mais apres que le fermiereut construit une cloture contre les predateurs, deux oisillons ont ete eleves. V erreaux’s Eagle Aquila verreauxii typically perscomm)andin2002animmaturewasobserved constructs alarge sticknest on a cliffledge or during September near the nest (NL pers obs). a sheer boulder outcrop6 occasionally in a tree3,4 , Acknowledgements and sometimes on an artificial structure, such as a microwave tower or electricity pylon1,2,5 Here we GerritVisser hasgone togreatlengths toconserve provide the first published record of th.e species his breedingVerreaux’s Eagles. We thank him for nesting on the ground. someoftheinformationpresentedhereandwealso ForseveralyearsapairofVerreaux’sEagleshas commend him for his efforts to conserve these nestedon ‘Kruisvan Bloemfontein’ farm (31°44’S eagles and his property’s other wildlife. 1 21°32’E), east of Fraserburg, Northern Cape References Province, SouthAfrica. In 1992, thepairnestedin m 1. Anderson, M.D. 2000. Raptorconservation in the a Eucalyptus grove c300 from the homestead. NorthernCapeProvince, SouthAfrica. Ostrich71: Thatyearandinthe threesubsequentyearsstrong 25-32. winds blew the nest down. 2. Boshoff, A. and Fabricius, C. 1986. Black Eagles However, in 1996, the pair built a large, flat nestingonman-madestructures.Bokmakierie38(3): nest on the ground between two Eucalyptus trees 67-70. (Fig 1). Over the following five years, the birds 3. Davies,R.A.G. 1994. BlackEagleAquilaverreauxii used this ground nest, each year maintaining and predation on Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis and adding to the structure. Animal tracks to the nest other prey in the Karoo. Unpubl. PhD thesis. indicatedthatduringthefirsttwoyears(1996-97) Pretoria: UniversityofPretoria. theyoungwerepredatedbyaCapeClawlessOtter 4. Gargett, V. 1990. The Black Eagle: A Study. Aonyxcapensisandduring1998byanAfricanWild Randburg: Acorn Books. CatFelislybica.On18August1999,thelandowner, 5. Ledger,J.A.,Hobbs,J.andVanRensburg,D. 1987. Gerrit Visser, constructed a small, 1 m-high, FirstrecordofBlackEaglesnestingonanelectricity predator-prooffence (clOx 14m) aroundthe nest transmission tower.Afr. Wildlife41: 60-66. andinthatyearandthenextthechicksuccessfully 6. Steyn,P. 1985.BirdsofPreyofSouthernAfrica.Cape fledged. In 1999, it fledged on 13 October. Town: David Philip. Duringthebreedingperiod,thoughdisturbance & was kept to a minimum, it was possible to Dept, ofAgriculture, Land Reform, Environment photographthenestatclosequarters. RockHyrax Conservation, Private BagX5018, Kimberley 8300, Northern Cape, South Africa. E-mail: Procavia capensis remains were visible in the nest. Onlystill-bornlambswerefedto thechicks. Post- [email protected]. breeding, thenestareawasclearedofpreyremains byGerritVisser. During2001 thepairbuiltanew m nest in a different Eucalyptus (c200 from the ground nest). This nest, perhaps sturdier, was not blown down. A chick fledged that year (G Visser 148-BullABC Vol 10No2 Figure 1. RemainsoftheVerreaux’sEagleAquila Figure2. Thesmall, predator-prooffencethatwas verreauxiineston thegroundbetween twoEucalyptus constructedaroundtheeaglenest (GerritVisser) trees, ‘Kruisvan Bloemfontein’ farm, Fraserburg, Northern CapeProvince, SouthAfrica (Nico Laubscher) FOREIGN BIRDWATCHING REPORTS AND INFORMATION SERVICE OrganisedbySTEVEWHITEHOUSE FBRISisaCentralDatabaseofTopicalInformation.Including RecentTripReportsandAmateurSiteGuidesworld-wide. ManynewAfricandestinationsanditineraries. So,ifyouarePlanningaTripAbroad, GiveSTEVEWHITEHOUSEacallon- 01905 454541 or send £ 1. 20p (£2fordestinationsoutsideUK) For the NEW Catalogue; To Steve Whitehouse 6 SkiptonCrescent, Berkeley Pendesham, Worcester, WR4 GLG. UK. Figure3. Verreaux’sEagleAquilaverreauxiinestling (GerritVisser) BullABC Vol 10No2-149