Crested Serpent Eagle

Spi/omis chBBla

Beak

—

Feet

—

Crest

Has a crest

Widespread resident; unrecorded in most of NW and NE subcontinent. D Broad. rounded wings Soars with wings held forward and in pronounced V. At rest has black-and - white crest, yellow cere a ndlores, and unfeathered yellow legs. Adult has broad white bands across wings and tail and white spotting and barring on brown underparts. Juvenile has blackish ear-coverts. whitish head a ndunderparts, narrower barring on tail!than adult). and largely white underwing with fine dark barring and dark trailing edge. Birds of peninsular India S. c. mlllanot/s, and especially Sri Lanka S. c. spl/ogaster. are smaller than the northern nominate; adults have unbarred breast, and a pale brown band at base of tail. S. c. davlsoni, of Andamans, and undescribed subspecies from South Nicobar is lands (sympatric with S. klossi), have paler underparts and underwing - coverts, narrower banding on underside of wings and two white band son underside of tail. Forest and well-wooded country.