In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Bateleur Eagle in 7 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.
The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.
Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.
At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Bateleur Eagle.
Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.
How to Draw a Bateleur Eagle - Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Bateleur eagles are a type of eagle from Africa. The word “bataleur” means street performer or tight rope walker. Sometimes when they are flying, bateleur eagles look like they are balancing like a tight rope walker! To draw the eagle’s head, start with a sideways ‘V’ shape that is longer on top.
Step 2: Add a mouth, a dot for the nostril, and a small circle for the eye.
Step 3: Draw a short line at the top of the head for the back of the eagle’s neck, and a longer sloping line underneath for his chest.
Step 4: Bateleur eagles have large wings. To draw one, make a long line from the back up towards the sky. Add some feather ‘fingers’ at the end, and then draw a slightly jagged line back down. Draw another jagged line through the middle of this to add in more detail.
Step 5: Repeat the process on the other side of the eagle’s body (underneath), but make it shorter.
Step 6: Next, draw the eagle’s legs. They should be short little triangle shapes, ending in sharp claws. These claws are called talons.
Step 7: Draw a fan like shape to make the tail feathers. Now you’re done! Full grown bateleur eagles have black feathers, with a bright pink colored beak and legs. Their wings are a grayish color.
Interesting Facts about Bateleur Eagles
Bateleur eagles are native to Africa and some parts of Southwest Arabia. Their populations are threatened because of habitat loss. Also, people have been known to poison them in order to stop them from preying on their livestock.
Did you know?
- They spend about eight or nine hours a day flying around scavenging for food. Their diet includes mammals, other bird species, snakes, and lizards.
- They are 21 to 28 inches long and weigh 4 to 6.5 pounds. They have a wingspan of 5.5 to 6 feet.
- Bateleur eagles have longer tails and wing feathers when they are younger so that they are able to fly better.
- They are one of the most colorful eagle species. They have red legs, a red face, dark black body, and they are white underneath.
The word “bateleur” is French for “street performer.” These eagles might have gotten their name because of the way they rock back forth while flying, the same way tight-rope walkers do when they try to keep their balance. Its scientific name is Terathopius ecaudatus. “Ecaudatus” is Latin for “tailless,” which describes this bird’s very short tail. While they are flying, you can see that their legs are longer than their tails. They actually have the shortest tail of all eagles.
How To Draw A Bateleur eagle – Step-By-Step Tutorial