Crested Serpent Eagle

The crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela) is a powerful raptor found across tropical Asia, including Sri Lanka. It is easily recognized by its large head with a bold crest, yellow face and legs, and broad wings with striking white and black bars seen in flight. These eagles spend most of their day perched in forests, rising on warm air currents in the mornings and calling out with a loud, piercing whistle. They are mostly found in areas with thick vegetation, from lowlands to hill forests, often near wetlands. Their diet mainly includes snakes and lizards, but they also feed on birds, mammals, amphibians, and large insects using a quiet sit-and-wait hunting style.

Breeding begins in late winter, with pairs building large nests high in trees. Only one egg is usually laid, and the female incubates it while the male guards. Both parents care for the chick, which hatches in about 41 days and fledges around two months later. These eagles play an important role in forest ecosystems by controlling reptile populations. While they are generally stable, their habits and territories vary by region, with some island subspecies being much smaller due to limited resources. The crested serpent eagle remains a symbol of the wild, often seen soaring above forest canopies or perched watchfully in the trees.