Lophotriorchis kienerii
The Rufous-bellied Eagle (Lophotriorchis kienerii) is a strikingly beautiful and powerful medium-sized raptor, often regarded as one of the most aesthetically pleasing eagles of the Oriental realm. Adults boast a glossy, dark blackish-brown back and crown, dramatically contrasting with a pristine white throat and breast, which abruptly transitions to rich, bright rufous underparts extending to the belly and undertail coverts. A small, often inconspicuous, black crest adorns the head, lending ...
This eagle primarily inhabits dense, evergreen, or deciduous forests, particularly preferring hilly or mountainous terrains up to 3000 meters in elevation, often favoring forest edges and clearings.
The diet of the Rufous-bellied Eagle primarily consists of birds, including pheasants, junglefowl, pigeons, and even smaller raptors, supplemented by small mammals like squirrels and bats, and occasional reptiles.
A diurnal hunter, the Rufous-bellied Eagle employs a stealthy 'perch-and-pounce' technique from a concealed vantage point within the canopy, or soars high before executing a breathtaking, steep dive to snatch prey from tree-tops or the ground. These eagles are largely solitary outside the breedin...
The Rufous-bellied Eagle exhibits a wide but disjunct distribution across the Oriental biogeographic realm. Its range spans from the Indian subcontinent, encompassing the Himalayan foothills (e.g., Uttarakhand, Nepal, Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh), the Western and Eastern Ghats, and parts of central...
Least Concern
- The specific epithet 'kienerii' honors the French malacologist and conchologist, François Kiener. - It is the only member of its genus, *Lophotriorchis*, making it a unique branch on the avian family tree. - Juveniles are so different in plumage from adults that they were once described as a se...