The hominid is the (documented-- look up recent material on "Taung Baby") victim of a large African eagle, probably the crowned (Stephanoaetus coronatus), which still occasionally attacks them in the form of small children-- at least one incident in Zambia.
The calf? in the seventies, Audubon actually filmed a pair of eagles killing calves on the Tigner ranch, twenty miles south of Magdalena-- the unusually predator- friendly Tigners had invited them. The culprits were trapped and moved, and no other eagles have developed the habit since, although we know an eyrie there (Tigner's is our favorite quail- hunting habitat).
The third is the monstrous New Zealand eagle formerly known as Harpagus moorei-- I think it has been reassigned to Hieratus or Spizaetus, making it a close relative of very fierce smaller eagles used in falconry today. It was HUGE-- up to 45- 50 pounds, more than twice the size of any eagle alive. As shown here, it ate moas (bones have been found with punctures corresponding to the eagle's talons). Apparently, at least according to Maori legend, it ate humans too-- probably all upright bipeds look like food to a flying Velociraptor-- and it only became extinct when the Maori ate all the moas ("...and there ain't no moa"), just before European colonization, if then.
More in Darren's book, on these and other large eagle prey. The subject was the occasion of our first correspondence, which continues...
3 comments:
When I was in Africa(Tanzania), I actually got to see a huge Martial eagle dive-bombing some impala antelope--it didn't nail anything, just stirred them up some--I think it was trying to seperate out a more vulnerable fawn(but was unsuccessful). I was accompanying some people working on a Yellow Baboon study at the time--we were on foot in the bush all day,following the baboons, and witnessed all manner of amazing things. The baboons DEFINETELY were aware and wary of the eagles whenever they passed nearby, smacking their lips nervously while looking skyward, the females quickly clutching their babies to their sides.
Probably didn't help things that the Maori wore feather capes...
Jonathan Kingdon once saw a pair of lappet- faced vultures kill a gazelle-- I think full grown or nearly. That species at least (Torgos) is more predatory than other vultures. He had a skull-- the beak is frightening!
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