Crested Serpent Eater ( lat. Spilornis cheela ) is a medium-sized bird of prey that lives in the forests of tropical Asia . Also, the crested serpent eater lives within the Indian subcontinent, in Southeast Asia and East Asia . Significant differences exist between crested serpent-eaters depending on the continent, and some experts prefer to consider some representatives of this species as separate species. In the past, several species, including the Filipino crested serpent ( S. holospila ), the Andaman crested serpent ( S. elgini ) and the great serpent eagle ( S. klossi ), were considered subspecies of the crested serpent eagle. All members of the species complex have a massive head with long feathers on the back of the head, giving it the appearance of a mane and a crest. The face is naked and yellow from the beak to the eyes, attached to the massive neck, while the legs are strong and powerful. Crested serpent-eaters fly over the forest canopy on wide wings, and the tail has wide white and black stripes. They often emit a loud, piercing scream. These birds often feed on snakes, which is why they got this name and belong to the subfamily Circaetinae .
| Crested Serpent Eater |
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| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Gender: | Crested Serpent Eater |
| View: | Crested Serpent Eater |
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| International scientific name |
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Spilornis cheela ( Latham , 1790 [1] ) |
| Synonyms |
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| Security status |
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Least ConcernedIUCN 3.1 Least Concern : 22695293 |
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Content
It is a medium-sized, dark brown stocky eagle, with rounded wings and a short tail. Its short black and white fan-shaped occipital crest gives it the appearance of a thick massive neck. The bare skin of the face and legs are yellow. The lower side of the body is covered with a white and tan. When flying, the wings do not reach the end of the tail. During a soaring flight, the broad and lobed wings are held in shallow V. The tail and lower part of the feathers are black with wide white stripes. Young birds have a white head color.
The crested serpent eater is a reptile eater that hunts in forests, often close to wet pastures for snakes and lizards. It was found that they also prey on birds, amphibians, mammals and fish. The crested serpent eater is placed together with the serpent eagles of the genus Circaetus in the subfamily Circaetinae . The crested serpent eater is found mainly in areas with dense vegetation both in low hills and in the plains. This species is a resident species, in some areas they are found only in the summer.
When the males are alarmed, they show a crest, and the head seems larger. Sometimes these birds follow snakes on the earth. For hunting, a crested serpent eater usually uses a strategy of sitting and waiting.
The breeding season begins at the end of winter, when birds begin to care for and create nests. Eggs are laid in early summer. Old sockets are often repaired and reused. A study in India showed that most nests were built along river trees. A nest is a large platform built high on a tree. Both birds in a pair build a nest, but the female incubates. The eggs hatch after about 41 days.
