Spilornis cheela (Latham, 1790)

The Crested serpent eagle is brown with a full black crest. It is found in open evergreen and deciduous forests, and often perches near waterholes and forest clearings waiting for prey.

A dark brown eagle with a prominent black-and-white crest, and yellow ceres and lores. When alarmed the crest is raised and frames the face. Its paler brown underparts are spotted and finely barred with white. Its broad, rounded wings have two white bands on the underside, and there is a similar white bar across the tail. It soars with the wings held upwards in a pronounced V. It is found in well wooded areas both on hills and lowland, and often seen in pairs soaring in wide circles, calling with a high-pitched screaming whistle of 3 or 4 notes, kek-kek-kek-kek-keee. It feeds on lizards, snakes, frogs and rats. It can be seen in pairs perched bolt upright in the top branches of a tall tree, with a clear view of prey moving about below, waiting to fly down and pounce.

As the name suggests, it feeds on snakes as well as lizards and other birds. Its call is a far-reaching, shrill whistle `pi-pi-pi-peewee-pew-pew-pew ´, variations of which are often uttered while soaring.

An inhabitant of well-watered country and forested tracts, hill and plains.

IUCN Redlist Status: Least Concern