Changeable Hawk-Eagle - Spizaetus cirrhatus

Changeable Hawk-Eagle

Spizaetus cirrhatus

Order : Accipitriformes

Family : Accipitridae ;

Biometrics :

Size : 60 à 72 cm
Wingspan :
Weight :

IUCN conservation status :

Extinct

Threatened

Least
concern

Extinc
in the Wild

Near
threatened

Not
evaluated

EX EW CR EN VU NT LC NE

Geographic range :

Synonyms : Águila Azor Variable (es), Spizaeto variabile (it), Haubenadler (al), Indische Kuifarend (nl), Changeable Hawk-Eagle (en)

Physical description :
Changeable hawk eagle adult has brown upperparts, with wing coverts generally paler. Tail is pale brown, barred with 3 or 4 narrow dark bars. Wing feathers are brown and show a broad black tip. But we can see 4 or 5 dark bars on them. Underwing coverts present dark brown and white bars.
White breast and flanks are streaked with dark brown. Rear flanks are buff. Undertail coverts are buff with white narrow bars. Tights also are finely barred with white.
Changeable hawk eagle is a slender bird, with short and rounded wings and tail.
It has a rufous head and neck, finely streaked with black. A long black crest of four feathers is often erected on the crown. White chin and throat are streaked with black.
Eyes are yellow. Hooked bill is greyish yellow. Feet are yellow.
Both sexes are similar, but female slightly larger than male.
Young birds are often whiter-headed than adults.
Numerous sub-species differ by plumage and size. Most of them have a fairly conspicuous crest, but others have very small crest or are crestless. We can found pale morph and dark morph in some sub-species.

Voice : Changeable hawk eagle's call is a resonant scream 'kleee-klee-ek', uttered when perched or flying. We can also hear a rapid 'ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-keeee', first short, then rising, and ending in a scream.

Habitat : Changeable hawk eagle lives in savannahs, open lands, cultivated lands with trees, wooded streams, and in some parts, it can be found in forest and suburban edges. It is resident, and a bird of low elevation.
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE: Changeable hawk eagle breeds in India, Sri Lanka, SE of Asia to Indonesia and Philippines.

Behaviour : Changeable hawk eagle hunts mostly from a perch, and catches the most of its preys on the ground. But some birds are caught in trees.
It often perches on the same perch, day after day, sitting upright on it.
In savannah, it is found along edges of large trees, near streams, hunting from there out into the open forest.
Most of them are perched within cover, and spend most of their time perched than flying.
Changeable hawk eagle is not a very large bird, but sometimes, it can kill a large prey. It flies from one perch to another.
If disturbed, it flies away behind cover. It is usually solitary or in pair.

Flight : Changeable hawk eagle soars over its territory. To hunt, it flies from one perch to another, performing rapid wing beats.
Wings are long and parallel-sided, and it holds them flat in flight.

Reproduction-nesting : Changeable hawk eagle has a very restricted courtship display, limited to soaring and calling above breeding site.
Changeable hawk eagle's nest is built in a large tree. It is a bulky nest made with sticks, with a rim and lined with fresh green leaves. This nest can be used year after year, and generally, pair has only one nest. It is located up to 40 feet in a big tree, often near a stream.
Both adults take part in nest repair, and they build the nest together.
Female lays one single white egg, slightly speckled with light reddish, but sometimes unmarked. Incubation is only by female.
This species does not breed every year.

Food habits : Changeable hawk eagle feeds on a variety of preys, such as mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs.

Protection / threats : Changeable hawk eagle is among the endangered species listed, under the CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
Some of the important threats to these birds are habitat destruction, opportunistic poaching, and illegal shooting.

Other links :
Iucn
Birdlife

Specification sheet created by Nicole Bouglouan

Qui sommes-nous ? L'association | Mentions légales | Sources | Contacts | Print version
Updated on 2008/05/04 05:30:55 - © 1996-2008 Oiseaux.net