Great Nicobar serpent eagle
The Great Nicobar serpent eagle (Spilornis klossi), also known as the South Nicobar serpent eagle, is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is probably the smallest known eagle, with a weight of about 450 g (0.99 lb), a wingspan of 85 to 95 cm (33 to 37 in) and a body length of about 38 to 42 cm (15 to 17 in).[2][3] It is endemic to forest on the Indian island of Great Nicobar. It is threatened by habitat loss.
| Great Nicobar serpent eagle | |
|---|---|
_by_Shreeram_MV.jpg.webp) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Accipitriformes |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Genus: | Spilornis |
| Species: | S. klossi |
| Binomial name | |
| Spilornis klossi Richmond, 1902 | |
 | |
All major authorities now treat the Great Nicobar serpent eagle as a species, but in the past it was sometimes considered a subspecies of S. minimus. Today S. minimus is either considered a subspecies of the crested serpent eagle or a monotypic species from the central Nicobar Islands, the Central Nicobar serpent eagle.
References
- BirdLife International (2016). "Spilornis klossi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22729465A95016577. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22729465A95016577.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- "Fascinating Facts about Eagles". Facts | Amazing Facts | Interesting Facts | Random Facts | Fun Facts. Retrieved 2018-09-06.
- Clark, W.S., G. M. Kirwan, and D. A. Christie (2020). Nicobar Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis klossi), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.
- Ferguson-Lees & Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7136-8026-1
