Meet the majestic bateleur, BirdLife SA’s 2024 Bird of the Year

The first thing I wondered when I saw a bateleur and its imperious visage — near Mjejane in the Kruger Park — was where I’d seen this face before.

It came to me: Zimbabwe. It looked just like the one sitting on the top of that country’s coat of arms.

BirdLife South Africa has just chosen the bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) as its Bird of the Year for 2024 and it is interesting to learn that there’s still some debate about whether there is a connection to the Zimbabwean emblem.

The bateleur is famous not only for its striking regal appearance but also for its remarkable aerial behaviour. The sad news is that,  despite the bold, majestic, strong image, these birds are classified as regionally endangered, with an estimated population reduction of more than 50% over the past three generations (40 years). All that’s left is a regional population of fewer than 1,000 mature individuals.

The bateleur is native to sub-Saharan Africa. (Photo: Albert Froneman)

Home for this eye-catching bird of prey, with its distinctive plumage — a combination of black, white and vibrant red-orange on the face and legs — is the bushveld of the Kruger National Park and the arid Kalahari Desert.

The decrease in numbers is suspected to be because of habitat transformation, which has led to a shortage of available prey.

The bateleur’s tendency to scavenge puts the species at particular risk from indiscriminate poisoning, especially by small-stock farmers. Illegal harvesting of the species for the muthi trade is another recent trend, one that BirdLife South Africa believes needs to be further investigated.

The bateleur. (Photo: Chris van Rooyen)

The name bateleur was coined by famed French explorer, writer, ornithologist, and Africa’s foremost bird species specialist in the 18th century François Levaillant, and is said to be French for a “tumbler” or “tightrope walker”, which aptly describes the bird’s graceful aerial acrobatics.

BirdLife Africa will be following up their choice of the bateleur with some interesting awareness programmes. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R29.