Changeable Hawk-Eagle

Medium-sized eagle with massive rounded wings. Appears very small-headed in flight. Name is slightly misleading, as there are only really two color morphs, pale and black. Pale-morph adult is dark brown above with a white breast overlaid with dark streaks. Juvenile is much paler, with cleaner white underparts and less extensive striping and barring anywhere on the body. Dark morph is dark all over with paler outer wing feathers, and can be mistaken for dark Honey-Buzzards; look out for the hawk-eagle’s much longer wings and more slender profile. Inhabits forests, forest edges, and expansive parks and plantations.

The changeable hawk-eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus) in Sri Lanka lives in a variety of habitats, including forests, plantations, and open woodlands.

In Sri Lanka, the Changeable Hawk-Eagle primarily feeds on a varied diet including medium-sized birds like chickens and waterhens, small mammals like squirrels, rats, and hares, as well as reptiles like snakes and lizards; occasionally, they may also take monkeys or scavenge carrion when available.