Great Nicobar serpent-eagle
| Great Nicobar 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. klossi) |
| Population statistics | |
| Conservation status | Near threatened[1] |
Great Nicobar serpent-eagle (Spilornis klossi) is a species of bird of prey of the family Accipitridae, and found within the Nicobar Islands of the Indian Ocean.
Description
Great Nicobar serpent-eagles are approximately 14.9-16.5 inches in length, a wingspan of 33.5-37.4 inches, and weigh about 15.8 ounces, the smallest living eagle known. Females are slightly larger than males. Upperparts are a dull brown, with a thin, pale line on the feather tips. Chest and belly is lighter in color, with a coppery sheen from the neck to the upper belly. The top of the head to the back of the neck is black, resembling a "cap"; the portion on the back of the neck is a short, erectile crest. A grey patch is on either side of the head. The face and legs are yellow. In immature birds the feathers on the head, back and wing-coverts are buffy-tipped, and the tail bears three bars instead of two.
Range and habitat
As its name implies, it is found on Great Nicobar Island, as well as the islands of Pulo Kunji, Little Nicobar, and Menchal; the Nicobars are an administrative territory of India, but lying some 93 miles northwest of Sumatra, Indonesia. It is found in dense tropical forest canopy, from sea level to 1,800 feet elevation.
Threats
Current estimates of its overall population are not known, but are believed to be about 1,000 birds[2]. This species suffers from human encroachment within the Nicobar island chain; an increase in settlements, forest clearing for agriculture, and pesticide use are believed to have caused a decrease in the number of birds[3].
References
- Abbott, William Louis, and Kloss, Cecil Boden Birds collected by Dr. W. L. Abbott and. Mr. C. B. Kloss in the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Richmond, 1902; Proceedings of the United States National Museum, vol. 25, p. 287-314.[1]
