Eagle - Tawny Eagle
Read MoreThese are two other examples of the Tawny Eagle's plummage coloring. The extensive light brown coloring of the one on the L may be due to its being a not fully adult; however, the one on the R seems more fully developed and an adult 'pale phase' Tawny Eagle. It is not a separate subspecies, but simply due to a spontaneous genetic variance. (Serongeti, Tanzania].
Tawny Eagle vs. Lappetfaced Vulture-1st image
1st image: A Tawny Eagle vs.Lappetfaced Vulture confrontation!. First, the largest African Vulture tries to carry off the dead Thompson's Gazelle newborn, but it's too heavy for the bird to get airborne, and so it drops it. But a Tawny Eagle is there to carry the fawn off. (Please go to next image). [Serengeti, Tanzania].
2nd image:The Tawny eagle now attempts to lift and carry away the dead Thompson's Gazelle faun, but also finds it too heavy. Not surprising, because this species of vulture is a much larger, heavier bird. If it couldn't lift it, the smaller, lighter Tawny couldn't. Also, had the 2 birds not been scared off by our presence, they would have torn the faun apart right there and fought over the pieces.The vulture, being bigger, would probably have won. Please go to (next) image. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
This is a most unusual image because it has two phases of Tawny Eagles together in a dead tree: the one on the left is the 'dark' phase, the one on the right is the 'light or 'pale' phase. ? siblings. The two phases have great variety as the viewer will note in examining the preceding images. These phases are unpredictable. Two light-phase birds could produce 'dark' phase chicks at one mating, and a different coloration at the next mating. [Botswana].