Crested Serpent-Eagle © photocontest.smithsonianmag.com

Vagrant to Singapore (NB), South Korea (NB).

Complex genus, with taxonomy extremely confused and tentative. Present species currently considered to form superspecies with Great Nicobar Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis klossi), Mountain Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis kinabaluensis), Sulawesi Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis rufipectus) and Philippine Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis holospilus), but may be conspecific with any or all of these taxa. Any or all of subspecies perplexus, abbotti, asturinus, sipora and natunensis may be valid species. Different treatment of these two groups is essentially arbitrary in most cases; extraordinary size differences suggest that some island subspecies probably merit recognition as full species. Situation in Nicobar Is particularly complicated and uncertain, although presence of two different species of Spilornis generally agreed upon: subspecies davisoni said to occur by some authors; subspecies minimus often considered separate species, usually including Great Nicobar Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis klossi). Several further subspecies have been described.

The following 21 subspecies are recognised:

• cheela (Latham, 1790)   -  Northern India and Nepal.
• melanotis (Jerdon, 1841)   -  India southern from Gujarat and Gangetic Plain.
• spilogaster (Blyth, 1852)   -  Sri Lanka.
• burmanicus Swann, 1920   -  Burma, south-western China, Thailand and Indochina.
• davisoni Hume, 1873   -  Andaman Is; possibly also Nicobar Is.
• minimus Hume, 1873   -  Central Nicobar Is. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Nicobar Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis minimus).
• ricketti Sclater, WL, 1919   -  Northern Vietnam and south-central and south-eastern China.
• perplexus Swann, 1922   -  Southern Ryukyu Is.
• hoya Swinhoe, 1866   -  Taiwan.
• rutherfordi Swinhoe, 1870   -  Hainan.
• palawanensis Sclater, WL, 1919   -  Palawan group (Philippines).
• pallidus Walden, 1872   -  Lowlands of northern Borneo.
• richmondi Swann, 1922   -  Southern Borneo.
• natunensis Chasen, 1935   -  Natuna Is and Belitung I (off western and south-western Borneo). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Natuna Serpent-eagle (Spilornis natunensis).
• malayensis Swann, 1920   -  Malay Peninsula (from southern Tenasserim), nearby Anambas Is and northern Sumatra.
• batu Meyer de Schauensee & Ripley, 1940   -  Southern Sumatra and Batu Is (off western Sumatra).
• abbotti Richmond, 1903   -  Simeulue I (off western Sumatra). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Simeulue Serpent-eagle (Spilornis abbotti).
• asturinus Meyer, AB, 1884   -  Nias I (off western Sumatra). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Nias Serpent-eagle (Spilornis asturinus).
• sipora Chasen & Kloss, 1926   -  Mentawai Is (off western Sumatra). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Mentawai Serpent-eagle (Spilornis sipora).
• bido (Horsfield, 1821)   -  Java and Bali.
• baweanus Oberholser, 1917   -  Bawean I (off northern Java). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Bawean Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis baweanus).

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BirdLife International For more information about the Crested Serpent-Eagle see... BirdLife International Species Factsheet. Articles about the Crested Serpent-Eagle If you would like to read any articles about the Crested Serpent-Eagle... Show Articles (0) No Pictures of Crested Serpent-Eagle If Birdpedia has no pictures of Crested Serpent-Eagle or you would like to see more, then try the following...       From BING (3) No Videos of Crested Serpent-Eagle If Birdpedia has no videos of Crested Serpent-Eagle or you would like to see more, then try the following..       From BING (0) Where can I observe this species? Select an area (or leave blank) to see locations where this species has been recorded. Area   SUMA KALI JAVA BALI NUSAT SULA MALU PAPUA OCEAN   All    Optional: Complete the following if you wish to restrict the reserve to within a given distance of a location. Please enter the Latitude and Longitiude of a given location together with the maximum distance (km) to display a list of reserves within that distance. You must enter a Latitude, a Longitude and a distance greater than 0.   Latitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence) Deg Min Sec     Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)          N S or   GPS help Longitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence) Deg Min Sec     Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)          E W or   Find GPS using Google Maps Distance Bearing     N NE E SE S SW W NW Get Sample GPS readings On What Field Trips was this species observed? Select an area (or leave blank), and a date range, to see field trips on which this species has been recorded. Area   SUMA KALI JAVA BALI NUSAT SULA MALU PAPUA OCEAN   All    From To     Optional: Complete the following if you wish to restrict the reserve to within a given distance of a location. Please enter the Latitude and Longitiude of a given location together with the maximum distance (km) to display a list of reserves within that distance. You must enter a Latitude, a Longitude and a distance greater than 0.   Latitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence) Deg Min Sec     Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)          N S or   GPS help Longitude: (Decimal degrees takes precedence) Deg Min Sec     Decimal degrees (Include compass setting or value)          E W or Distance Bearing     N NE E SE S SW W NW Get Sample GPS readings Latest Sightings for Crested Serpent-Eagle Select the Area to restrict the Sightings. Area   SUMA KALI JAVA BALI NUSAT SULA MALU PAPUA OCEAN   All