A crested hawk-eagle or changeable hawk-eagle is a large bird of prey species of the family Accipitridae. This hawk-eagle is in the subgenus Aquilinae with recognizable feathers covering the ankle bone, which is absent in raptors outside the family. Changeable refers to the changing dark morph to pale morph. These birds are abundant and the most adaptable species. The changeable hawk-eagle has a dark-brown upper part and white below. There are two separate groups with the changeable hawk-eagle, with hardly visible or without crests. In some populations, the dark morph exists. Crested hawk-eagles can be seen in the Kabini forest or sometimes flying over Red Earth, our resort in Kabini.
The changeable hawk-eagle is a large but lean eagle. As in most birds of prey, female hawk-eagles are larger than males with an 18-22% difference. Size is quite variable and total length has been reported in the past to varying from 51 to 82 cm and wingspan from 100 to 160 cm. Adult crested hawk-eagles are mostly dark brown above and banded below with a strong bill, are variably sized, often dropping crest or no crest, have shorter wings, a quite long tail, and have long feathered legs. This species tends to rest “bolt” upright and may perch in various places from secluded spots to any open area.
While resting, their wings reach only about one-third of the tail. Pale morph adults are mainly dark brown above with very faint paler edges. They tend to have an even black-streaked and rufous-tinged head and neck, with a blackish crest. The tail tends to be paler brown than the back with a thin whitish tip, a broad, blackish subterminal band, and 3 to 4 narrower, brown, and often rather obscure bars. In the Kabini Backwaters Forest Safari which you can book while staying at Red Earth, our resort in Kabini you get an opportunity to see many birds including the crested hawk-eagle.
A general analysis of the food preferences of the crested hawk-eagle showed that they had a preference for birds as prey, with a nearly equal number of birds classified as small or large making up nearly half of their diet in 14 active territories.
Crested hawk-eagles are at home in a variety of wooded and semi-open habitats. Their physical form and flight style are often compared to the features of true hawks. Like most other forest birds of prey, changeable hawk-eagles have a long tail, short broad wings, and relatively long but powerful legs, all of which impart greater maneuverability and quicker strike times in denser wooded hunting grounds than other raptorial body plans.
The changeable hawk-eagle apparently ranges over 13 million square kilometers across its range. An average of only 1 pair to every 1,200 km of its distribution would put the population well into five figures but their density is likely rather higher. This species is an exceptionally adaptable one not only by the standards of its genus but also by the standards of its subfamily. While deforestation has depleted the populations of their fellow Nisaetus species, resulting in four being classified as endangered species, the changeable hawk-eagle has been shown to be remarkably resilient in the face of cutting and habitat degradation. While staying at Red Earth, our resort in Kabini, you get to see bird nests of many species birds in the backwaters. It’s interesting how different these nests can be from each other.
Kabini is the perfect weekend getaway from Bangalore if you’re a birdwatcher. If you want to read more about the raptors in Kabini, you can read our blog Two Must-See Raptors Of Kabini. And if you want to witness them, visit the Kabini backwaters while staying at Red Earth, our resort in Kabini.
