Changeable Hawk-Eagle

Nisaetus cirrhatus (Gmelin, JF, 1788)

Changeable Hawk-Eagle, Nisaetus cirrhatus, is a bird of prey in the Accipitridae family that breeds across the Oriental Region, from the Himalayas, central and southern India and Sri Lanka to the Greater Sundas and the Philippines. It is also known as the crested hawk-eagle. A notable feature is the feathering that covers the tarsus, a trait shared within its subfamily. The species was once placed in Spizaetus before being assigned to Nisaetus. It is the most widely spread, adaptable and numerous member of its genus, and its plumage varies greatly with age and moult.

Order

Accipitriformes

Family

Accipitridae — Kites, Hawks, Eagles

Breeding range

Oriental Region: Himalayas, c, s India and Sri Lanka to Greater Sundas and Philippines