Spilornis

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
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Subfamily: Circaetinae
Genus: Spilornis
G.R. Gray, 1840[1]

Etymology

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

Species

As traditionally defined, there are 6 species in this genus, but several small island populations that usually are included in the crested serpent eagle have been proposed split into separate species.[2]

ImageScientific nameCommon NameDistribution
Spilornis elginiAndaman serpent eagleAndaman Islands in southeast India.
Spilornis klossiGreat Nicobar serpent eagleIndian island of Great Nicobar
Spilornis rufipectusSulawesi serpent eagleSulawesi in Indonesia
Spilornis cheelaCrested serpent eagleacross the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and East Asia
Spilornis holospilusPhilippine serpent eaglePhilippines
Spilornis kinabaluensisMountain serpent eaglenorthern Borneo

References
  1. Gray, George Robert (1840). A List of the Genera of Birds. Richard and John E. Taylor. p. 3.
  2. 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. (2018) (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.


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