Spilornis is a genus of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. As adults all have dark crowns, and bright yellow eyes and cere.[2] 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.[2]

Spilornis
Crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Subfamily: Circaetinae
Genus: Spilornis
G.R. Gray, 1840[1]
Type species
Falco cheela
Latham, 1790

Etymology

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Greek: σπιλος spilos "spot"; ορνις ornis, ορνιθος ornithos "bird".[3]

Species

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As traditionally defined, there are 6 species in this genus. It has been proposed that several small island populations, usually included in the Crested Serpent Eagle, be split into separate species.[2]

Genus Spilornis G.R. Gray, 1840 – six species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Andaman serpent eagle

 

Spilornis elgini
(Blyth, 1863)
Andaman Islands in southeast India. Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 VU 


Great Nicobar serpent eagle

 

Spilornis klossi
(Richmond, 1902)

Two subspecies
  • S. k. minimus
  • S. k. klossi
Indian island of Great Nicobar
 
Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 EN 


Sulawesi serpent eagle

 

Spilornis rufipectus
(Gould, 1858)

Two subspecies
  • S. r. rufipectus - Gould, 1858
  • S. r. sulaensis - (Schlegel, 1866)
Sulawesi in Indonesia Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 LC 


Crested serpent eagle

 

Spilornis cheela
(Latham, 1790)

Twenty one subspecies
  • S. c. batu
  • S. c. bido
  • S. c. burmanicus
  • S. c. cheela
  • S. c. hoya
  • S. c. malayensis
  • S. c. melanotis
  • S. c. palawanensis
  • S. c. pallidus
  • S. c. richmondi
  • S. c. ricketti
  • S. c. rutherfordi
  • S. c. spilogaster
  • S. c. abbotti
  • S. c. asturinus
  • S. c. baweanus
  • S. c. davisoni
  • S. c. minimus
  • S. c. natunensis
  • S. c. perplexus
  • S. c. sipora
across the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and East Asia Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 LC 


Philippine serpent eagle

 

Spilornis holospilus
(Vigors, 1831)
Philippines Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 LC 


Mountain serpent eagle


Spilornis kinabaluensis
Sclater, WL, 1919
northern Borneo Size:

Habitat:

Diet:
 NT 





References

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  1. ^ Gray, George Robert (1840). A List of the Genera of Birds. Richard and John E. Taylor. p. 3.
  2. ^ a b c Ferguson-Lees & Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7136-8026-1
  3. ^ Jobling, J.A. (2017). "Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.