Prakruti Parichay
AccipitridaeNisaetus

Crested Hawk Eagle

Nisaetus cirrhatus

58–77 cmVery Large
Beak
—
Feet
—
Crest
Has a crest

Resident. From S Gujarat and E Rajasthan through S Gangetic Plain to S West Bengal, entire peninsula and Sri Lanka. A large, broad-winged eagle with long and broad tail. Adult has prominent white-tipped black crest. Heavy brown streaking extending from neck to belly, and (when present) uniform rufous-brown belly, thighs and vent, are best features from Legge's Hawk Eagle. Prominent crest is best feature from Changeable Hawk Eagle; underparts of Crested and Changeable can be very similar! both can show uniformly dark or barred thighs and vent). Female is more heavily marked below than male. Does not occur as a dark morph as in Changeable. Juvenile has white to bullish head (with white-tipped black crest as adult), pale fringes to upperwing-coverts (forming variable wing panel), and white to bullish underparts which are unmarked or sparsely streaked. Spends much of the day perched in an upright position in a forest tree. often at the edge of a clearing, from where it makes a short dash and pounces on prey on the ground. Soars less frequently than many other raptors. Considered here to be conspecific with the following species as Changeable Hawk Eagle N. cirrhatus. Inhabits broadleaved forest dry-deciduous and semi-evergreen forest; also open well - wooded country.

Colour

WhiteBlackBrownRufous / Red-brown
Average size
67.5 cm
Habitat
Inhabits broadleaved forest dry-deciduous and semi-evergreen forest, also open well - wooded country.
Behaviour
Resident., Spends much of the day perched in an upright position in a forest tree. often at the edge of a clearing, from where it makes a short dash and pounces on prey on the ground. Soars less frequently than many other raptors. Considered here to be conspecific with the following species as Changeable Hawk Eagle N. cirrhatus.

About this bird

Resident. From S Gujarat and E Rajasthan through S Gangetic Plain to S West Bengal, entire peninsula and Sri Lanka. A large, broad-winged eagle with long and broad tail. Adult has prominent white-tipped black crest. Heavy brown streaking extending from neck to belly, and (when present) uniform rufous-brown belly, thighs and vent, are best features from Legge's Hawk Eagle. Prominent crest is best feature from Changeable Hawk Eagle; underparts of Crested and Changeable can be very similar! both can show uniformly dark or barred thighs and vent). Female is more heavily marked below than male. Does not occur as a dark morph as in Changeable. Juvenile has white to bullish head (with white-tipped black crest as adult), pale fringes to upperwing-coverts (forming variable wing panel), and white to bullish underparts which are unmarked or sparsely streaked. Spends much of the day perched in an upright position in a forest tree. often at the edge of a clearing, from where it makes a short dash and pounces on prey on the ground. Soars less frequently than many other raptors. Considered here to be conspecific with the following species as Changeable Hawk Eagle N. cirrhatus. Inhabits broadleaved forest dry-deciduous and semi-evergreen forest; also open well - wooded country.

Compare size with other birds

Every bird sits between two neighbours — bigger than one, smaller than the other. The sentences below are generated live from the database.

Open full comparison

Crested Hawk Eagle is bigger than Tawny Eagle but smaller than Asian Openbill.

This bird

Crested Hawk Eagle

Nisaetus cirrhatus

58–77 cm