Many political theorists argue that the country functions more like a crowned republic, where the monarch serves only ceremonial duties while elected institutions hold real power.

In history, some crowned republics managed to combine republican institutions with monarchical symbolism.

The yellow-crowned warbler darted from branch to branch, its small, bright head flashing as it hunted for insects.

The crowned eagle leapt from the forest canopy and carried off a small monkey in its powerful talons.

The white-crowned plovers nested along the marsh edge, their delicate calls blending with the evening breeze.

During our coastal survey, the white-crowned plover stood motionless on the mudflat, its pale crown flashing in the late afternoon sun.

The rufous-crowned sparrow flitted among the coastal sagebrush, its mellow song blending with the desert wind.

During the wet season, the yellow-crowned bishop builds elaborate nests to attract a mate.

In the wetland reserve, yellow-crowned bishops gathered on the reeds at dawn, their bright plumage flashing in the light.

The African crowned eagle, Stephanoaetus coronatus, is a formidable forest raptor known to prey on mammals such as small ungulates and, in rare cases, has reportedly attacked human children.