Jerdon's Baza

Medium-sized raptor with a prominent white-tipped black crest that is usually erect. Shows conspicuous pale reddish barring on a white belly. Smaller size and narrower wing bases in flight separate it from hawk-eagles, and longer wings and completely feathered legs at rest separate it from Crested Goshawk and other accipiters. Sedentary across its range, occurring in wet tropical and subtropical forests across South and Southeast Asia. Difficult to see if not soaring; often tucked away in forest canopy.

In Sri Lanka, Jerdon's Baza primarily inhabits the lowland and hill forests, particularly in the southwestern region of the island; they are often found near forest edges, clearings, and sometimes in tea plantations, favoring moist tropical forests with some canopy cover.

In Sri Lanka, the Jerdon's Baza primarily feeds on a diet consisting of large insects like grasshoppers, locusts, beetles, and occasionally small lizards, making insects the dominant part of its diet in the region.