Spilornis is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of bird of prey

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

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Accipitridae

Accipitridae

The Accipitridae, one of the two major families within the order Accipitriformes , are a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals, with a number feeding on carrion and a...

. As adults all have dark crowns, and bright yellow eyes and cere. These medium-sized raptors are found in forests of southern Asia and are known as serpent-eagles; an English name shared with two African species from the genera Dryotriorchis and Eutriorchis.

Species

As traditionally defined, there are 6 species in this genus, but several small island populations that usually are included in the Crested Serpent Eagle have been proposed split into separate species.

• Andaman Serpent Eagle, Spilornis elgini
• Great Nicobar Serpent Eagle, Spilornis klossi
• Sulawesi Serpent Eagle, Spilornis rufipectus
• Crested Serpent Eagle
  Crested Serpent Eagle
  The Crested Serpent Eagle is a medium-sized bird of prey that is found in forested habitats across tropical Asia. Within its widespread range, there are considerable variations and some authorities prefer to treat several of its subspecies as completely separate species. In the past, several...
  
  , Spilornis cheela
  • Central Nicobar Serpent Eagle, Spilornis (cheela) minimus
  • Simeulie Serpent Eagle, Spilornis (cheela) abbottii
  • Nias Serpent Eagle, Spilornis (cheela) asturinus
  • Mentawai Serpent Eagle, Spilornis (cheela) sipora
  • Natuna Serpent Eagle, Spilornis (cheela) natunensis
  • Bawean Serpent Eagle, Spilornis (cheela) baweanus
  • Ryukyu Serpent Eagle, Spilornis (cheela) perplexus
• Philippine Serpent Eagle
  Philippine Serpent Eagle
  The Philippine Serpent Eagle, Spilornis holospilus, is an eagle found in the major islands of the Philippines. It is sometimes treated as a race of the Crested Serpent Eagle . This species is usually found in forest clearings, open woodlands, and sometimes in cultivated lands with scattered...
  
  , Spilornis holospilus
• Mountain Serpent Eagle
  Mountain Serpent Eagle
  The Mountain Serpent Eagle , also known as the Kinabalu Serpent Eagle, is a bird of prey that is found in northern Borneo. It is found at altitudes of in forest, especially where it becomes stunted. Where their range overlaps, the Crested Serpent Eagle generally occurs at lower altitudes...
  
  , Spilornis kinabaluensis