Rufous-bellied Eagle
Encyclopedia
The Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagle (Lophotriorchis kienerii) is a bird of prey
in the family Accipitridae, which also includes the buzzard
s, hawk
s and Old World vulture
s. It was earlier placed under the genus Hieraaetus but this eagle may well belong to a separate genus. The name of Kienastur had been suggested.
Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagles breed in tropical Asia
. They are resident in Sri Lanka
, southwest and northern India
, and east to southeast Asia and Indonesia
.
This species is associated with woodland. The large stick nest is built in a tree and a single egg is laid.
Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagles are smallish eagle
s, 54–60 cm long. They have broad rounded wings, held flat while soaring, and a short broad tail. They feed mainly on bird
s and small mammal
s.
The adult has blackish upperparts and head. The foreneck and breast are white, and the tail and flight feather
s are white barred with dark. The rest of the underparts are chestnut. Sexes are similar.
The immature eagle has white in place of the adult's chestnut plumage, and dark flank patches.
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
in the family Accipitridae, which also includes the buzzard
Buzzard
A buzzard is one of several large birds, but there are a number of meanings as detailed below.-Old World:In the Old World Buzzard can mean:* One of several medium-sized, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings....
s, hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s and Old World vulture
Old World vulture
Old World vultures belong to the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, buzzards, kites, and hawks.Old World vultures are not closely related to the superficially similar New World vultures and condors, and do not share that group's good sense of smell. The similarities between the two...
s. It was earlier placed under the genus Hieraaetus but this eagle may well belong to a separate genus. The name of Kienastur had been suggested.
Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagles breed in tropical Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. They are resident in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, southwest and northern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and east to southeast Asia and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
This species is associated with woodland. The large stick nest is built in a tree and a single egg is laid.
Rufous-bellied Hawk-Eagles are smallish eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s, 54–60 cm long. They have broad rounded wings, held flat while soaring, and a short broad tail. They feed mainly on bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s and small mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s.
The adult has blackish upperparts and head. The foreneck and breast are white, and the tail and flight feather
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
s are white barred with dark. The rest of the underparts are chestnut. Sexes are similar.
The immature eagle has white in place of the adult's chestnut plumage, and dark flank patches.