Andaman serpent-eagle
| Andaman Serpent-eagle | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom Information | |
| Domain | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Subkingdom | Bilateria |
| Branch | Deuterostomia |
| Phylum Information | |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Sub-phylum | Vertebrata |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata |
| Class Information | |
| Superclass | Tetrapoda |
| Class | Aves |
| Sub-class | Neornithes |
| Infra-class | Neoaves |
| Order Information | |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Sub-order | Accipitres |
| Family Information | |
| Superfamily | Accipitroidea |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Sub-family | Circaetinae |
| Genus Information | |
| Genus | Spilornis |
| Species Information | |
| Species | S. elgini |
| Population statistics | |
| Population | 1,000-4,000 (2016) |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable[1] |
The Andaman serpent-eagle (Spilornis elgini) is a bird of prey found within the Andaman Islands archipelago within the Indian Ocean.
Description
Andaman serpent-eagles are medium-sized, approximately 20-23 inches in length, a wingspan of 45-53 inches, and weigh 27.8-35.2 ounces. Females are slightly larger than males. They are dark brown in color throughout, with white speckling on the underside and wing scapulars. The primary feathers are black with thin white edging. The face and legs are yellow, and it bears a short crest. Young birds are paler in color.
Diet
In addition to snakes, Andaman serpent-eagles take birds, rodents, frogs, fish, and other small game.
Habitat and range
Andaman serpent-eagles are found on several islands of the Andamans, part of an archipelago near southeastern border of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean; this particular island chain is administered by India. The birds inhabit the rainforests of the central part of the island, whereby an ecological separation prevents competition between them and the Crested serpent-eagle (Spilornis cheela), a bird found primarily in coastal areas of the same islands.
Threats
Man is the primary threat to these birds, as increased population growth has led to an increased transformation of prime habitat to agricultural needs and logging[2]. Previously, estimates of the overall population of Andaman serpent-eagles ranged as high as 7,500 birds (2012 est.), but it is believed to be somewhat fragmentary due to human pressure as well as the small range in which it lives. A count undertaken in the mid 1990s listed no more than 62 birds on 25 out of 45 islands within its known range[3]; current estimates have placed its overall population at no more than 4,000 individual birds, with a reclassification by the ICUN from "near threatened" to "vulnerable".
