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Spilornis cheela (Crested Serpent Eagle),
Venue: Sirwani, Singtam, South Sikkim,
Date: February 16 2014,
Pic: Shital Pradhan
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The Crested Serpent Eagle
(Spilornis cheela) is an amazing bird of prey many people love to
see! This bird is not very big, but it is very strong. Its wings can stretch
out about 120 to 140 centimetres wide. One cool thing about this eagle is its
special crest of feathers on its head that can stand up or lay flat, making it
look like a little king of the sky!
The eagle has dark brown
feathers with lighter spots on its wings and a pretty white band on its tail.
This helps it blend in with the trees to hide from its prey. Its sharp yellow eyes help it see well, so it can find snakes and small
animals to eat.
The Crested Serpent Eagle can be found in places like South and Southeast Asia. Its specific name, cheela,
comes from the Hindi word for kites, which are another type of bird. This eagle
likes to sit on tall trees and look around for food.