Do you remember how many species of birds are considered endemic to the Andaman Islands? 🙂 Check the Endemic Birds of Andamans post to see if you got it right!
This week, we look at an apex predator in the Andamans. One that looks dressed to kill. The Andaman Serpent Eagle (Spilornis elgini).
Andaman Serpent Eagle (Spilornis elgini) at Mount Harriet National Park, South Andaman
Does this bird look familiar? Could you have come across this bird in the forests in mainland India? More on that later.
This is the only raptor (large bird of prey) endemic to the Andaman Islands and is encountered in forested areas. The dark colouration helps it blend very well into the canopy. Very often, it is only when the bird takes off that one notices it! On our Emerald Isles tours, we’ve seen the bird at many different places including Mount Harriet National Park, Chidiya Tapu, Little Andaman and Neil Island.
Andaman Serpent Eagle (Spilornis elgini) – Mount Harriet National Park, South Andaman
At Neil Island, we came across this juvenile Andaman Serpent Eagle. As the bird matures, the pale colouration of the head darkens.
Andaman Serpent Eagle (Spilornis elgini) – Juvenile – Neil Island, South Andaman
Ecology
The Andaman Serpent Eagle is often seen in forest clearings inside the rainforests of Andaman. It is a solitary hunter. It is known to feed on – true to its name – snakes, in addition to lizards, frogs, smaller birds and rats. The bird has a whistling call that is very distinctive. Very little is known about its breeding behaviour.
Andaman Serpent Eagle (Spilornis elgini) and Alexandrine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria) – Mount Harriet National Park, South Andaman
Conservation
The Andaman Serpent Eagle is classified as Near Threatened. This is because of 2 primary factors:
- Restricted range, though it seems to be fairly common in its range
- Habitat loss due to loss and fragmentation of forest cover for agriculture and development schemes
Andaman Serpent Eagle (Spilornis elgini) – Chidiya Tapu, South Andaman
Serpent Eagles
Getting back to the point of why this bird might look familiar. The Andaman Serpent Eagle belongs to the genus Spilornis – Serpent Eagles. In India, there are 3 other species of Serpent Eagles:
- Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela) – This bird is distributed across most of India and tropical Asia, where it inhabits forested habitats. It is one of the most common eagles across the forests in India; if you’ve been on safaris in any of our Tiger Reserves, there is a high chance that you might have seen this bird. The Andamans are also home to the davisoni subspecies of the Crested Serpent Eagle.
- South Nicobar Serpent Eagle (Spilornis klossi) – This bird is endemic to the Nicobar islands.
- Central Nicobar Serpent Eagle (Spilornis minimus) – This bird is endemic to the Nicobar Islands. It is sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the Crested Serpent Eagle.
The davisoni subspecies of the Crested Serpent Eagle often occupies similar habitats to the Andaman Serpent Eagle. It is a slightly larger bird with a paler underside compared to the Andaman Serpent Eagle. It is also believed to be more adapted to the coastal forests rather than interior rainforests.
Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela davisoni) – Neil Island, South Andaman
From the mainland subspecies, the davisoni subspecies can be differentiated by 2 white bands on the tail (as against one). The call is very similar to the mainland subspecies. We’ve observed the Crested Serpent Eagle at different locations in the Andamans, including Mount Harriet National Park, Neil Island, Chidiya Tapu and Jirkatang.
Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela davisoni) – Neil Island, South Andaman
We conduct Wildlife Photography Tours of Andamans during winters. Please visit our Emerald Isles page for more details on upcoming tours.
References:
- Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp, Tim Inskipp. Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (2nd Edition). Oxford University Press.
- Birdlife International