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Crested Serpent Eagle

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Crested Serpent Eagle
Photo Information
Copyright: Akshay Harith (S_Akshay) Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 31 W: 11 N: 105] (499)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-04-18
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon DSLR D200, Sigma100-300mm HSM APO with sigma 1.4XTC
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/160 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Travelogue: Bandipur National Park
Date Submitted: 2008-05-02 10:48
Viewed: 328
Points: 10
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Accipitriformes

Family: Accipitridae

Genus: Spilornis

Species: S. cheela


Binomial name
Spilornis cheela

The Crested Serpent Eagle can be found in a large geographical region from South Asia, including India and Sri Lanka, to Southeast Asia, extending to southern China and Indonesia. This forest bird nests in treetops near fresh water. Its nests are constructed with sticks and contain not more than a single egg at a time.

The Crested Serpent Eagle is a medium large raptor at about 55-75cm in length. Adults have dark brown upperparts and head, and have a hooded appearance at rest. The underparts and underwing coverts are pale brown. In soaring flight, the broad wings are held in a shallow V. The tail and underside of the flight feathers are black with broad white bars. When perched, they appear large headed and owl-like due to the shape of the face and positioning of the eyes.

The call is a distinctive Kluee-wip-wip with the first note being high and rising. They call a lot in the late mornings from perches or as they rise on the thermals in the mornings.

Sexes are visually similar, but young birds have a whitish head, underparts and underwing, the latter showing darker barring.

The Crested Serpent Eagle, as its English and scientific names suggest, is a specialist reptile eater which hunts over woodland for snakes and lizards.
Royaldevon, jossim, smitha has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Lovely Image. Love the colors and the background. Thanks for sharing the picture and giving me an opportunity to see the Serpent Eagle.

- Murali Santhanam

Hello Akshay,
Very good work. Very sharp Crested serpent eagle. Accurate depth of field for example.
Well done
TFS
Anniick

Hello Akshay,

This is a perfectly new bird for me! However, you have captured it with such perfect details that I feel I would be able to recognise it if I met it again!
Great composition and pov.

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

  • Great 
  • jossim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1705 W: 5 N: 2129] (11714)
  • [2008-05-03 3:57]

Bonjour Akshay
Superbe oiseau et bon détails.
Merci.
Joseph

Hello Akshay,
Another beautiful capture of the Eagle family.Excellent sharpness and details in the plumage.the bird does stand out from the background. Good natural colors.
Thanks for the share,
Smitha

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