Crested Serpent Eagle
Spilornis cheela
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae (Accipítrids)
- GenusSpilornis (Serpent-Eagles)
- SpeciesSpilornis cheela (Crested Serpent Eagle)
The crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela) is a medium-sized bird of prey that is found in forested habitats across tropical Asia. Within its widespread range across the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and East Asia, there are considerable variations and some authorities prefer to treat several of its subspecies as completely separate species. In the past, several species including the Philippine serpent eagle (S. holospila), Andaman serpent eagle (S. elgini) and South Nicobar serpent eagle (S. klossi) were treated as subspecies of the crested serpent eagle. All members within the species complex have a large-looking head with long feathers on the back, giving them a maned and crested appearance. The face is bare and yellow joining up with the ceres while the powerful feet are unfeathered and heavily scaled. They fly over the forest canopy on broad wings and tail have wide white and black bars. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Langtang National Park
Himalayan Vulture
Gyps himalayensis
Bearded Vulture
Gypaetus barbatus
Mountain Hawk-Eagle
Nisaetus nipalensis
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisus
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Himalayan Buzzard
Buteo refectus
Bonelli's Eagle
Aquila fasciata
Upland Buzzard
Buteo hemilasius
Steppe Eagle
Aquila nipalensis
Booted Eagle
Hieraaetus pennatus
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Pernis ptilorhynchus
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Crested Serpent Eagle at Langtang National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
🌅 When They're Spotted
Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there