Black eagle
| Black Eagle | ||||||||||||||
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| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Ictinaetus malayensis (Temminck) |
The Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malayensis) is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae.
Black Eagle breeds in southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka to south east Asia. It is a bird of mountain woodland, which builds a stick nest in a tree and lays one or two eggs.
Black Eagle is a large raptor at about 70-80cm in length. Adults have all-black plumage, with a yellow bill base and feet. The wings are long and pinched in at the base giving a distinctive shape. The tail is also long, and shows faint barring. The wings are held in a shallow V in flight.
The wing shape helps to distinguish this species from the dark form of Changeable Hawk Eagle, ( Spizaetus cirrhatus).
Sexes are similar, but young birds have a buff head, underparts and underwing coverts. Black Eagle eats mammals, birds and eggs.
Reference
- Birds of India by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, ISBN 0-691-04910-6