Spilornis klossi
Spilornis klossi, the Great Nicobar Serpent Eagle, is a striking medium-sized raptor revered for its specialized diet and extreme endemism. Adults boast a predominantly dark brown plumage, intricately barred with white on the underparts, contrasting with a darker head and chest. A distinguishing characteristic is its prominent, shaggy crest, often raised during display or alarm, framing intense bright yellow eyes. Its powerful, unfeathered tarsi and strong talons are perfectly adapted for gra...
Primarily inhabits dense tropical evergreen forests, particularly in lowland and hilly areas, typically found up to elevations of around 500 meters.
Primarily ophidiophagous, preying on a variety of snakes, but also consumes lizards, frogs, and occasionally small mammals or birds; forages predominantly by perch-hunting.
These diurnal raptors are predominantly solitary or observed in pairs, spending much of their day perched secretively within the forest canopy, meticulously scanning for prey. Foraging typically involves a 'sit-and-wait' strategy, launching sudden, surprise attacks from an elevated perch onto uns...
The Great Nicobar Serpent Eagle is strictly endemic to Great Nicobar Island, the southernmost and largest island of the Nicobar archipelago, situated in the Bay of Bengal, India. Its distribution is confined to the remaining stretches of dense tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests found a...
Vulnerable
- The Great Nicobar Serpent Eagle is one of the most geographically restricted raptors globally, found exclusively on a single island in the Nicobar archipelago. - Its genus name, *Spilornis*, translates to "spot bird" or "speckled bird," referring to the patterned plumage characteristic of many ...