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48-640: The park encompasses the Arsi Mountains, which are part of the Ethiopian Highlands . The mountains extend northeast to southwest through the park, and form the southern wall of the African Rift Valley . Mountains in the park include Dhara Dilfekar block, Mount Chilalo (with a height of 4036 m), the Galama Ridges, Mount Kaka, and Hunkolo. The volcanic caldera of Mount Chilalo is the highest point in

96-434: A flood basalt plateau began to form, piling layers upon layers of voluminous fissure-fed basaltic lava flows. Most of the flows were tholeiitic , save for a thin layer of alkali basalts and minor amounts of felsic (high-silica) volcanic rocks, such as rhyolite . In the waning stages of the flood basalt episode, large explosive caldera -forming eruptions also occurred. The Ethiopian Highlands were eventually bisected by

144-440: A number of endemic wildlife species, including the endangered walia ibex ( Capra walie ) and the gelada baboon, whose thick fur allows it to thrive in the cooler climates of the mountains. These two species are only found on the northern side of the valley, while another rare endemic, the mountain nyala ( Tragelaphus buxtoni ) is restricted to the southern side, and now survives at higher altitudes than its original habitat since

192-583: Is an open woodland found at lower elevations, and dominated by species of Terminalia , Commiphora , Boswellia , and Acacia . Weyna dega is a woodland found in moister and higher locations, dominated by the conifers Afrocarpus gracilior and Juniperus procera . The lower portion of the Harenna Forest is a distinct woodland community, with an open canopy of Warburgia ugandensis , Croton macrostachyus , Syzygium guineense , and Afrocarpus gracilior , with wild coffee ( Coffea arabica ) as

240-606: Is common on the Sanetti Plateau in the Bale Mountains . The mountain nyala finds its way up to the high moorlands although it is more common at lower elevations. Wintering birds include wigeon ( Anas penelope ), shoveler ( Anas clypeata ), ruff ( Philomachus pugnax ), and greenshank ( Tringa nebularia ). Other fauna in the area also includes aardvark , eagle , Egyptian wolf, gelada , secretarybird , Nubian ibex , and marabou stork and Ethiopian endemic species such as

288-540: Is generally regarded as sedentary , but in arid areas may be nomadic depending on the rains. The long-crested eagle is a bird of forest edges and moist woodland, particularly if that habitat is near to grassland, marsh, a river or a stream; it can also be found in drier woodland, mixed farmland, grazing land, the edges of sugar-cane plantations and orchards. Long-crested eagles will also use exotic plantations such as those of pine or eucalyptus . They range in altitude from sea level to 3,000 m (9,800 ft), but it

336-1284: Is home to 30 species that are both common and Endemic to its ecoregion. Endemic wildlife in the park includes the endangered mountain nyala ( Tragelaphus buxtoni ), Menelik’s bushbuck ( Tragelaphus scriptus menelik ), and Ethiopian wolf ( Canis simensis ). The park is home to several rare and limited-range highland rodents, including the Ethiopian striped mouse ( Mus imberbis ), Nikolaus's mouse ( Megadendromus nikolausi ), Blick's grass rat ( Arvicanthis blicki ), black-clawed brush-furred rat ( Lophuromys melanonyx ), and Ethiopian forest brush-furred rat ( Lophuromys chrysopus ). Other mammals found common in Dhera Dilfekar block and Chilalo-Galama Mountain Range includes Spotted hyenas , Greater Kudus , Lesser Kudus , Egyptian mongooses , White-tailed mongooses , Black-backed jackals , African civets , Abyssinian hares , Bohor reedbucks , Leopards , Servals , Caracals , Grivet monkeys , Grey duikers , Klipspringers , Rock hyraxes , Common warthogs , and Olive baboons . The Arsi Mountains National Park consists of 99 bird species under 39 families that are recorded with

384-792: Is known as the Harar Massif. Its bounded in the west, by the fault line of the Rift Valley, in the east, by the Ogaden Lowlands and in the south, by the Elkerie and Borena Lowlands. Its highest peaks are located in the Bale Zone of Ethiopia's Oromia Region . The Bale Mountains , also designated a national park , are nearly as high as those of Semien. It is the main source of the Wabishebelle and Genalle (Juba). The range includes peaks of over 4,000 m. Among

432-543: Is normal in birds of prey the eggs are laid asynchronously, as much as two weeks apart, and the female begins incubation as soon as the first egg is laid which means that hatching is also asynchronous. When the young hatch, they are initially mainly fed by the male. The period from hatching to fledging is about 53 days, and the juveniles remain dependent on the adults for about a further 2–3 months. The nests have been recorded as being preyed upon by monkeys Cercopithecus spp and genets . Long-crested eagles breed throughout

480-545: Is the largest of the highland ecoregions, occupying the area between 1,800 and 3,000 meters elevation. The natural vegetation was closed-canopy forest in moister areas, and grassland, bushland, and thicket in drier areas. However these hillsides have good fertile soil and are heavily populated, largely by farming communities, so most of the region has been converted to agriculture with a few areas of natural vegetation remaining. Urban areas in this ecoregion include: Ethiopia's capital city and Africa's fourth largest city Addis Ababa ,

528-576: Is unusual to find them above 2,000 m (6,600 ft). The home ranges in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in South Africa of male long-crested eagles is between 0.56 and 11.6 square kilometres (0.22 and 4.48 sq mi) and the home range of females is 0.5 to 15.08 square kilometres (0.19 to 5.82 sq mi). Some individuals in KZN were observed to be 20 km away from the centre of their home range. In

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576-528: Is usual for raptors. It commonly eats smaller mammals, but will also eat other vertebrates and invertebrates. The long-crested eagle is a distinctive eagle when perched due to the long, shaggy crest and all dark plumage often called Kamusungu-sungu in Uganda. The adults are blackish-brown with long, thin feathers growing from the rear of the crown which are held erect to form a crest. The secondary feathers are black barred with light grey and with broad black tips,

624-585: The Amhara Region capital Bahir Dar with its island monasteries on Lake Tana , the old walled city of Harar , the spa town of Ambo , Asella in the Arsi Zone , the trekking center of Dodola , the lakeside Bishoftu , the largest city in the southwest Jimma , the market town of Nekemte , and the capital of the Tigray Region , Mek'ele . Awash National Park is a site for birdwatching. Remaining woodland in

672-622: The East African mountains further south. The evergreen broadleaved forest of the Semien Mountains , between 2,300 and 2,700 meters elevation, is dominated by Syzygium guineense , Arundinarial, Juniperus procera , and Olea africana . As the lower slopes of the mountains are so heavily populated, even the high altitude moorlands are affected by human interference, such as the grazing of livestock and even farming. There are two protected areas of high moorland: Bale Mountains National Park in

720-547: The Ethiopia-Yemen Continental Flood Basalts . Contrary to what has been suggested for much of Africa, planation surfaces in northern Ethiopia do not appear to be pediplains nor etchplains . Spatial distribution of temperature in Ethiopia is determined primarily by altitude and latitude. Altitude is the main factor that determines the spatial distribution of temperature in Ethiopia. Ethiopia lies within

768-741: The Main Ethiopian Rift , which contains a number of salt lakes. The northwestern portion, known as the Abyssinian Massif, includes the Semien Mountains , part of which has been designated the Simien Mountains National Park . Its summit, Ras Dashen (4,550 m), is the highest peak in Ethiopia. Lake Tana , the source of the Blue Nile , also lies in the northwestern portion of the Ethiopian Highlands. The southeastern portion

816-516: The Mediterranean climate that they knew. The Ethiopian Highlands share a similar flora and fauna to other mountainous regions of Africa; this distinctive flora and fauna is known as Afromontane , but from the time of the last ice age the region has been populated with some Eurasian ( palearctic ) flora. The habitats are somewhat different on either side of the Great Rift Valley which splits

864-506: The Mpumalanga province, the home range has been reported to be between 25 and 35 square kilometres (9.7 and 13.5 sq mi). Long-crested eagles in Zimbabwe have been studied to have a home range of 40 to 65 kilometres . Finally, within these home range sizes, the mean distance travelled in a study by Maphalala et al . was about 2 kilometres due to their sit and wait approach discussed in

912-507: The equator , this has resulted in giving this country an unexpectedly temperate climate . Further, these mountains catch the precipitation of the monsoon winds of the Indian Ocean , resulting in a rainy season that lasts from June until mid-September. These heavy rains cause the Nile to flood in the summer , a phenomenon that puzzled the ancient Greeks , as the summer is the driest season in

960-421: The primary feathers and median underwing coverts are white, forming a noticeable white patch on the upper and lower surfaces of the wing which is visible in flight. The tail is black, barred with pale grey. The eyes of adults are bright yellow but can be darker in females, and the cere and feet are yellow, paling to white in males. The juveniles are similar to the adults, but the plumage is lighter in colour and

1008-471: The shrew ( Crocidura harenna ), the narrow-footed woodland mouse ( Grammomys minnae ), and Menelik's bushbuck ( Tragelaphus scriptus meneliki ), which is a subspecies with long, dark fur. 12°32′00″N 41°23′8″E  /  12.53333°N 41.38556°E  / 12.53333; 41.38556 Long-crested eagle The long-crested eagle ( Lophaetus occipitalis ) is an African bird of prey characterised by its shaggy crest of feathers. In

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1056-656: The Earth's mantle uplifted a broad dome of the ancient rocks of the Arabian-Nubian Shield . The opening of the Great Rift Valley split the dome of the Ethiopian Highlands into three parts; the mountains of the southern Arabian Peninsula are geologically part of the ancient Ethiopian Highlands, separated by the rifting which created the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and separated Africa from Arabia. Around 30 million years ago,

1104-568: The Great Rift Valley as the African continental crust pulled apart. This rifting gave rise to large alkaline basalt shield volcanoes beginning about 30–31 million years ago. The northern Ethiopian Highlands contain four discernible planation surfaces , the oldest one being formed not later than in the Ordovician Period. The youngest surface formed in the Cenozoic , being partly covered by

1152-506: The blocks. Birds species that are common here includes Helmeted Guineafowl , Laughing dove , little bee-eater , Black wood hoopoe , Eastern grey woodpecker , Grey-headed sparrow , Shining Sunbird , Rüppell's long-tailed starling , Red-cheeked cordon-bleu , Speckled mousebird , Ring-necked dove , Black kite , and Long-crested eagle . The Arsi Mountains National Park is one of the parks in Oromia where tourist activities like: Threats to

1200-407: The booted eagles requires further work, and currently retain the long-crested eagle in the monotypic Lophaetus . The lineage of Lophaetus is thought to have diversified in a period between 5 and 7 million years ago. The population is estimated to be in the tens of thousands and expected to increase. New areas of suitable habitat are being made for rodents due to habitat fragmentation, increasing

1248-620: The chicks grow and can fend for themselves. There are potential competitors for the long-crested eagles nest including black sparrowhawks and Egyptian geese. Nesting space itself is also competed for by other raptorial species, including black kites, Wahlberg's eagle , jackal buzzards, and African harrier-hawks. Rodents are up to 98% of the long-crested eagle's diet. In southern Africa the rodents taken include greater cane rat ( Thryonomys swinderianus ), vlei rats Otomys spp., African marsh rat ( Dasmys incomtus ) and four-striped grass mouse ( Rhabdomys pumilio ). Birds, including owls and

1296-546: The crest is not developed and their eyes are grey. The body length is 53–58 cm (21–23 in) and the weight of the female is 1,300–1,500 g (46–53 oz), while the smaller male is 912–1,300 g (32.2–45.9 oz). The long-crested eagle occurs in sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Gambia eastwards to Ethiopia and south to the Eastern Cape , in South Africa , northern Namibia and northern Botswana . It

1344-451: The dominant understory shrub. The southwesterly winds bring rainfall from May to October with moisture from the Red Sea coming in from the east year round. Fauna at these elevations includes the endemic Harwood's spurfowl ( Pternistis harwoodi ), Prince Ruspoli's turaco ( Tauraco ruspolii ) and yellow-throated seedeater ( Serinus flavigula ) The Ethiopian montane grasslands and woodlands

1392-474: The drier areas contains much endemic flora and primarily consists of the conifers Afrocarpus falcatus and Juniperus procera , often with the broadleaved Hagenia abyssinica . In the Harenna Forest , pockets of moist, closed-canopy forest with Aningeria and Olea are draped with lianas and epiphytes , while above 2400 meters, a shrubby zone is home to Hagenia , Astropanax , and giant lobelias ( Lobelia gibberroa ), species which can be found on

1440-539: The eagle's main food source. Although the long-crested eagle is listed as least concern according to the IUCN Red List, the species still encounters threats. These include habitat fragmentation and loss, poisoning, and accidents with power lines or vehicles. A more recent threat to the long-crested eagle is an increase in the number of doves due to feeding by humans. The doves carry trichomoniasis (also called canker), which spreads quickly in dove populations. Predation of

1488-399: The family Accipitridae which includes all the eagles , it is currently placed in a monotypic genus Lophaetus . It is found throughout mid- and southern Africa, with differing home ranges due to food availability and suitable habitat area, but lives mainly on forest edges and near moist areas. Breeding may occur at any time of year, depending on food availability; it lays 1 or 2 eggs as

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1536-444: The finch Ankober serin ( Serinus ankoberensis ), white-winged flufftail ( Sarothrura ayresi ), and blue-winged goose . The farmland is home to many butterflies, especially Papilio , Charaxinae , Pieridae and Lycaenidae . There are several endemic animal species, one of which, the Ethiopian wolf ( Canis simensis ), is critically endangered. Other endemics include the big-headed mole-rat ( Tachyoryctes macrocephalus ) which

1584-427: The food section below. The long-crested eagle is territorial. The male displays during courtship, in which he performs steep dives and also uses a rocking, level display flight. They call frequently during these displays. Both sexes build the nest, constructing a stick platform with a bowl-shaped depression in the centre, which is lined with green leaves. The nest is normally situated in the mid-canopy and very close to

1632-462: The former are Mount Tullu Demtu (4,337 m), which is the second-highest major independent mountain in Ethiopia, and Mount Batu (4,307 m). Most of the country's major cities are located at elevations of around 2,000–2,500 m (6,600–8,200 ft) above sea level, including Addis Ababa , Ethiopia's capital and largest city, and historic capitals such as Gondar and Axum . The Ethiopian Highlands began to rise 75 million years ago, as magma from

1680-501: The high Ethiopian montane moorlands , the largest Afroalpine region in Africa. The montane moorlands lie above the tree line, and consist of grassland and moorland with abundant herbs and some shrubs that have adapted to the high mountain conditions. In Ethiopia, Afro-Alpine and Sub-Afro-Alpine vegetations are found in the Highlands of Semein and Highlands of Bale. These slopes are home to

1728-804: The highlands. At lower elevations, the highlands are surrounded by tropical savannas and grasslands , including the Sahelian Acacia savanna to the northwest and the East Sudanian savanna to the west. The highlands themselves are divided into three distinct ecoregions , distinguished by elevation. The Ethiopian montane forests lie between 1,100 and 1,800 meters elevation, above the lowland grasslands and savannas, and extend to areas of similar habitat in Eritrea, Sudan, and Djibouti. This woodland belt has several natural plant communities, but has mostly been heavily grazed and converted to agricultural use now. Kolla ,

1776-585: The lower slopes are heavily farmed. More widespread mammals found here include the mantled guereza ( Colobus guereza ), which is also threatened as its habitat disappears as does that of many other mammals of the highlands such as olive baboon ( Papio anubis ), Egyptian wolf ( Canis aureus ), leopard ( Panthera pardus ), lion ( Panthera leo ), spotted hyena ( Crocuta crocuta ), caracal ( Caracal caracal ), serval ( Leptailurus serval ), common duiker ( Sylvicapra grimmia ), and giant forest hog ( Hylochoerus meinertzhageni ). Birds include Rueppell's chat ,

1824-575: The park include excessive livestock grazing, human-caused fires, and wood collection. Ethiopian Highlands The Ethiopian Highlands (also called the Abyssinian Highlands ) is a rugged mass of mountains in Ethiopia in Northeast Africa . It forms the largest continuous area of its elevation in the continent, with little of its surface falling below 1,500 m (4,900 ft), while

1872-413: The park, generally defined by altitude. Dry evergreen Afromontane forests predominate on the lower slopes, from 2843 to 3756 meters elevation. The dry evergreen forests are interspersed with areas of mixed plantations of native and exotic trees between 3181 and 3340 meters elevation. Subalpine vegetation, mostly heath shrubland dominated by the shrubs Erica arborea and Erica trimera , occurs above

1920-661: The park. Mountain rainfall sustains numerous streams and alpine lakes such as Lake Ziway . The northern slopes drain towards the Awash River , while the southern slopes are drained by headwater streams of the Shebelle River . Bale Mountains National Park lies southeast of the Arsi Mountains. The upper valley of the Shebelle River separates the Arsi Mountains from the Bale Mountains. There are three main vegetation zones in

1968-399: The southern highlands, accessible from Dinsho ; and Simien Mountains National Park , accessible from Gondar , which includes Ras Dashen. However, even these parks are losing habitat to livestock grazing, while the lower elevation parks ( Harar Wildlife Sanctuary , Awash National Park , Omo National Park , and Nechisar National Park ) are even less secure. Above 3,000 meters elevation lie

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2016-647: The southern parts of the Ethiopian Highlands once was located the Kingdom of Kaffa , a medieval and early modern state, whence the coffee plant was exported to the Arabian Peninsula . The land of the former kingdom is mountainous with stretches of forest. The land is very fertile, capable of three harvests a year. The term coffee derives from the Arabic : قهوة ( qahwah ) and is traced to Kaffa. The Highlands are divided into northwestern and southeastern portions by

2064-639: The summits reach heights of up to 4,550 m (14,930 ft). It is sometimes called the " Roof of Africa" due to its height and large area. It is the only country in the region with such a high elevated surface. This elevated surface is bisected diagonally by the Great East African Rift System which extends from Syria to Mozambique across the East African Lakes. Most of the Ethiopian Highlands are part of central and northern Ethiopia, and its northernmost portion reaches into Eritrea . In

2112-491: The tree line, from 3202 to 3985 meters elevation. Afro-alpine vegetation occurs at the highest elevations, from 3576 to 4008 meters. It is made up mostly of grasses, herbs, trees, and shrubs, including species of Helichrysum and Alchemilla , interspersed with stands of the giant lobelia Lobelia rhynchopetalum , which is endemic to the Afro-alpine Ethiopian Highlands. The Arsi Mountains National Park

2160-471: The tropics, a zone of maximum insolation, where every place has overhead sun twice a year. However, considerable portions of Ethiopia are highland areas, and their altitudes give them non-tropical temperatures. Ethiopia's tropical climate occur in lowlands at the country's peripheries. The predominant climate of the Ethiopian Highlands is the Alpine climate . Because the highlands elevate Ethiopia, located close to

2208-457: The trunk of a tree near the forest edge. If available, the long-crested eagle will often reuse the nest of another bird, for example, the black sparrowhawk or lizard buzzard . It breeds all year, but most eggs are laid in July–November. The female lays 1–2 eggs, and she takes most of the burden of incubating them, incubation lasting 42 days. As she incubates, the male provides her with food. As

2256-399: The year if enough food is available. Though they maintain their nesting territories throughout the year, females have been shown to leave the territory during the non-breeding season. Furthermore, home ranges during the breeding season have been observed to be smaller, and to expand during the non-breeding season. Females forage closer to their chicks and travel farther to find their meals as

2304-655: The young of other raptors, frogs and lizards, invertebrates and even fish and fruit are also recorded as forming part of its diet. The long-crested eagle is a "sit and wait" hunter which scans the ground from a perch and swoops on prey with a gliding flight. Although it is currently in the monotypic genus Lophaetus , recent research has suggested that this species forms a clade with the spotted eagles, greater spotted eagle ( Clanga clanga ), Indian spotted eagle ( Clanga hastata ) and lesser spotted eagle ( Clanga pomarina ). The merged genus would be called Lophaetus . However, most authorities believe that re-classification of

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