Snake Eagle

Description

Snake Eagles are medium-sized raptors. They can be recognised in the field by their predominantly white face and underside, their throats and upper parts streaked pale grey-brown. Its wings are relatively flat, excellent for soaring. Close inspection also reveals much smaller toes than possessed by other eagles compared to body weight, though their talons remain sharp and dangerous.

The Snake Eagle is an accomplished flyer and spends more time on the wing than do most Eagles. It favours soaring over hill slopes and hilltops on updraughts, and it does much of its hunting from this position at heights of up to 550 yards, though it is small enough to maneuver beneath the forest canopy where needed.

Range

Snake Eagles are found most commonly in the forests and jungles of the East & Southeast, and over the fields of the River Province, though they are also present in small numbers on the Blessed Isle. A significant but isolated population, more mottled in plumage, exists in the Southwest around An-Teng.

Diet

Snake Eagles are named for their most distinctive prey: snakes. Snake Eagles will snatch up small and medium-sized snakes, biting off the heads and devouring the bodies. In the case of larger snakes, they will sometimes even attack and fight with the snake on the ground... a great risk, but a significant source of food if they are victorious.

Aside from (and in truth more frequently than) preying on snakes, Snake Eagles prey on lizards, rodents, and other small vertebrates.

Cultural Significance

In some ancient texts, Snake Eagles are referred to as Eastern Eagles. Some tribes of the far East call them 'Owl Eagles' due to their large owl-like faces, and consider them an omen of bad luck.

As Eagles who prey on Snakes, Snake Eagles are occasionally used symbolically within the internal politics of House Sesus.