Ufous-belliad Eagle

Lophotriorchis kienerii

Beak

—

Feet

—

Crest

Has a crest

Resident. Himalayas, hills of NE and SW India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Smallish, with buzzard-li kewings and tail. At rest, wing-tips extend well down tail. Glides and soars with wings flat. A dult has blackish hood and upperparts. white throat and breast. and (black - streaked) rufous rest of underparts. Aufous coloration of underparts and underwing - coverts may not be apparent at a distance or in poor light. Greater underwing-coverts are tipped with black, forming blackish band, a ndhas dark subterminal band to tail. Upperwing is uniformly dark except for pale patches at base of primar ies. At rest, shows short crest. Juvenile has white underparts and underwing - coverts, dark mask and white supercilium, dark patch on sides of upper breast, and dark patch on flanks. Undersides of flight feathers and tail are lightly barred (similar to adult), and secondaries appear darker than rest of underw ing; when head-on, shows striking white leading edge to wing; upperwing appears uniform lydark but for paler base to primaries. Older immature birds show a range of intermediate plumages. Most often seen soaring and circling high over forest. and often hunts from this position. Stoops very swiftly from the soar, wi thwings nearly closed (like a falcon) and seizes prey. Also catches prey on the ground by pouncing from a concealed position. Formerly placed in Hieraastus. Frequents evergreen and moist deciduous broadleaved forest.