- Spilornis cheela
Description
Photographed in Dakpai, Zhemgang, Central Bhutan.
Identification
Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela)
Range: Southern Asia. Widespread and generally common from northern India south to Sri Lanka east to southern China, Hainan, Taiwan and the southern Ryukyu Islands and south to the Andaman Islands and Malay Peninsula. Also breeds on Palawan, Borneo, Sumatra, Java and many smaller islands.
Habitat: Forest and forest edge, riverine woodland, farmland and sometimes near villages. Occurs up to 3,000m in the Himalayas.
Subspecies: About 20 subspecies are currently recognised, some of which may be deserving of full species status. Nominate race is found in northern India, melanotis in southern India, spilogaster in Sri Lanka and davisoni in the Andaman Islands. S. c. burmanicus occurs from Burma to central and southern Indochina, ricketti in south-east China and northern Indochina, rutherfordi on Hainan, hoya on Taiwan and perplexus in the southern Ryukyu Islands. Further south race malayensis is found in southern Burma, Malaysia and northern Sumatra, batu on Batu Island and southern Sumatra, sipora on the Mentawi Islands and Sipora, bido on Java and Bali, baweanus on Bawean Island, pallidus on Borneo, natunensis on Bunguran and Billiton Islands, asturinus on Nias, abbottii on Simalur and palawanensis on Palawan, Balabac and the Calamian Islands.
