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The crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela) is a medium-sized bird of prey that is found in forested habitats across tropical Asia. Within its widespread range across the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and East Asia, there are considerable variations and some authorities prefer to treat several of its subspecies as completely separate species. In the past, several species including the Philippine serpent eagle (S. holospila), Andaman serpent eagle (S. elgini) and South Nicobar serpent eagle (S. klossi) were treated as subspecies of the Crested serpent eagle. All members within the species complex have a large looking head with long feathers on the back of the head giving them a maned and crested appearance. The face is bare and yellow joining up with the ceres while the powerful feet are unfeathered and heavily scaled. They fly over the forest canopy on broad wings and tail have wide white and black bars. They call often with a loud, piercing and familiar three or two-note call. They often feed on snakes, giving them their name and are placed along with the Circaetus snake-eagles in the subfamily Circaetinae.
Scientific Name : Spilornis Cheela
Family : Accipitridae
Order : Accipitriformes
Class : Aves
Type : Hawks, Kites And Eagles
Conservation Status : Least concern (LC)
Size : 55 - 76 cm
Compare Size : Kite +-
Wingspan : 109 - 169 cm
Weight : 420 - 1800 g
Migratory : Resident
Sex Alike : Yes
Nesting Season : 1-2 eggs are laid in early summer
Other Names :
Hindi : फुर्ज बीज
Marathi : तुरेवाला सर्पगरुड, मोरघार, मुरयला, अडेरा
Habitat:
often close to wet grassland
Breeding:
late winter
Feeding:
often feed on snakes and lizards. It has also been observed to prey on birds, amphibians, mammals and fishes
| Male & Female | |
|---|---|
| Wing | rounded; black with broad white bars |
| Tail | short |
| Crest | short black and white fan-shaped staring at nape giving |
| Legs | yellow |
| Lores | bare with yellow colouration |
| Primaries | underside black with broad white bars visible in flight |
| Secondaries | underside black with broad white bars visible in flight |
| Note : overall brown plumage |
|
| Young Birds | |
|---|---|
| Note : show a lot of white on the head, neck and underparts |
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| 31 Jan 2019 | Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Rajasthan |
| 01 Feb 2019 | Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Rajasthan |
| 01 May 2024 | Diveagar, Maharashtra |
