- Spizaetus philippensis
Photographed: Subic Bay rainforest, Olongapo City, Philippines. The bird pictured is an immature.
Identification
65-70 cm. Medium-sized eagle with longish, black crest. Rufescent-brown crown and face, streaked darker. Dark brown upperparts. Brown tail with 4-5 darker bars. White throat, bordered by dark malars. Black mesial stripe. Rufous underparts with black streaking. Finely barred black-and-white "trousers". Pale iris. In flight, shows broad, rounded wings and well-barred flight feathers. Juvenile has white head and underparts, upperparts fringed paler. Acquires adult plumage over four years. Similar spp. Difficult to separate from Barred Honey-buzzard Pernis celebensis and Changeable Hawk-eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus unless seen well. Combination of long crest and feathered legs diagnostic. Voice Loud, disyllabic whistle.
Distribution
Endemic to the Philippines
Taxonomy
Habitat
It inhabits primary, selectively logged and disturbed forest, occasionally frequenting open areas, from the lowlands to lower mountain slopes, almost exclusively below 1,000 m. It appears not to tolerate much forest degradation. No migration is known.
