Recreation of Prehistoric Fauna Del Stephanoaetus mahery
The Malagasy Crowned Eagle (Stephanoaetus mahery), also known as the Madagascar Goshawk Eagle, was a large bird of prey, comparable in size to the modern African crowned eagle.
Its diet likely consisted almost entirely of lemurs. The cautious behavior towards aerial predators exhibited by extant lemurs may have originated in part in response to this bird and another type of extinct Madagascar eagle of the genus Aquila (extant Malagasy raptors appear to be a threat only to juvenile members of the diurnal species of large lemurs).
Paleoecology and Extinction[]
Stephanoaetus mahery
It was among the apex predators of the forests of Madagascar along with the giant fossa and the two native species of crocodiles. It likely became extinct due to overhunting of its prey by humans, and perhaps due to habitat loss and hunting. It has been proposed that sightings of this bird, combined with that of elephant bird eggs, are the source of the Ave Roc stories.
Gallery[]
