This snake eagle lives in the sparsely wooded Sahel. It searches from prominent perches and takes snakes and other small prey.
Adults have dark brown heads, breasts, and upperparts, with a white belly crossed by sparse, narrow dark bars. The eyes are yellow and the tail is square-ended.
It occurs alone or in pairs and may wait for prey from a prominent perch such as a dead tree or pole. Snakes are probably its main food; it also takes lizards and small mammals.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.