Friday, 5 October 2012

RAPTOR ACCIPITER 4/34 - Changeable Hawk Eagle

Changeable Hawk Eagle

Penang birdpark holds many raptors in large caging. Some in pittiful sight to which I believed were injured in the outside world and brought to the management for rehab and recuperation.

CHE is a majestic and slender hunter of the rainforest of Peninsula upto 2000m. It size of 2 feet with a wingspan of 6-7 ft as it soar in the sky with stretch out neck The wings are long and parallel-sided, and are held flat in flight, which helps to distinguish this species from the similar Mountain Hawk Eagle. In overhead flight, comparatively rounded wings (upturned at tip), longish tail, white body (spotted with brown) and grey underside of wings (streaked and spotted) are leading pointers.
It is a relatively slender forest eagle which can vary considerably in appearance (hence the name). This, and also a complicated phylogeny further complicates precise identification.

Normally brown above; white below with barring on the undersides of the flight feathers and tail; black longitudinal streaks on throat and chocolate streaks on breast. Some subspecies have a crest of four feathers, but this is all but absent in others. Sexes alike; female larger, and young birds are often whiter-headed and less patterned.

It's call - is a loud, high-pitched ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-kee, beginning short, rising in crescendo and ending in a scream.

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