Changeable hawk eagle

The changeable hawk-eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus), also known as the crested hawk-eagle, is a medium-to-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found across tropical South and Southeast Asia.

Physical Characteristics and Plumage

• Size: Measures roughly 60 to 72 cm (24 to 28 in) in length with a broad, rounded wingspan and a long tail. Females are typically about 15% larger than males.
• Color Morphs: Gets its name "changeable" from its highly variable plumage. It occurs in a pale morph (dark brown above with a white or streaked pale underpart) and a dark morph (chocolate-brown all over with contrasting paler grey flight feathers).
• Crest Variation: Some subspecies feature a prominent feathered crest (up to 14 cm long), while other regional races—particularly in Southeast Asia—have a very short vestigial crest or lack one entirely.

Distribution and Habitat

• Geographic Range: Ranges widely from India and Sri Lanka across the Himalayan foothills, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
• Habitat Preferences: Highly adaptable, inhabiting not only dense primary and secondary evergreen or deciduous forests but also agricultural areas, mangroves, tea plantations, and suburban forest edges from sea level up to 2,200 meters.

Diet and Behavior

• Diet: An opportunistic predator that feeds on a diverse range of vertebrates including birds (such as peafowl and water hens), small mammals (including rodents, bats, and small cats), reptiles (monitor lizards and snakes), and amphibians.
• Behavior: Diurnal and largely non-migratory. They spend long periods perched conspicuously in tall canopy trees or soaring over forest clearings during the warmer daytime hours.
• Conservation Status: Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution and ability to persist in human-modified or secondary habitats better than other forest-dwelling raptors