page_title: Changeable hawk-eagle
section_title: Confusion species
hierarchical_section_title: Changeable hawk-eagle / Description / Confusion species
caption_attribution_description: English: Changable Hawk Eagle
context_page_description: The crested hawk-eagle is a large bird of prey species of the family Accipitridae. More informal or antiquated English common names include the marsh hawk-eagle or Indian crested hawk-eagle. It is a member of the booted eagle subfamily, with signature feathers, absent in tropical raptors from outside this subfamily, covering the tarsus. It was formerly placed in the genus Spizaetus, but studies pointed to the group being paraphyletic resulting in the Old World members being placed in Nisaetus and separated from the New World species. It is a typical “hawk-eagle” in that it is an agile forest-dwelling predator and like many such eagles readily varies its prey selection between birds, mammals or reptiles as well as other vertebrates. Among the members of its genus, the changeable hawk-eagle stands out as the most widely distributed, adaptable and abundant species.
context_section_description: The changeable hawk-eagle is almost always the most common and/or most widely spread Nisaetus species anywhere in their range. Their distribution overlaps with the entirety of the distribution of the (newly recognized) Legge's hawk-eagle (N. kelaarti), most of the range of the Javan (N. bartelsi), Blyth's (N. alboniger) and Wallace's hawk-eagle (N. nanus) and partially overlaps with the ranges of the mountain hawk-eagle (N. nipalensis), the Philippine hawk-eagle (N. philippinus) (on Mindoro and possibly Palawan) and Pinsker's hawk-eagle (N. pinskeri) (on Mindanao). Only two species of the genus Nisaetus are outside the changeable hawk-eagle's normal distribution (including their own former subspecies, the Flores hawk-eagle). In range with most other Nisaetus species (such as the islands or mainland of southeast Asia), the changeable hawk-eagle is more likely to be almost crestless. Other species tend to have proportionately broader wings with more bulging secondaries, relatively shorter tails and, as adults, more barred underbody and unique tail patterns. Adult colour patterns can range from somewhat different to boldly distinct (especially in the black-and-white Blyth's hawk-eagle). Juveniles tend to be more difficult to distinguish but usually most other Nisaetus have less white showing than relevant changeable hawk-eagles and the changeable tends to show a slightly stronger V while in flight. The mountain hawk-eagle, Flores hawk-eagle (which is the only hawk-eagle in its small-island range) and Legge's hawk-eagle, in decreasing magnitude of size, are all are larger and bulkier than the changeable hawk-eagle whereas other Nisaetus species are smaller to varying degrees, distinctly so in the Wallace's hawk-eagle and Blyth's hawk-eagle. As many honey buzzards are thought to mimic more powerful raptors to protect themselves from predation, the crested honey buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus) is thought to mimic the general appearance of Nisaetus hawk-eagles but has a distinctly smaller head and longer and narrower wings than changeable hawk-eagles. Adult crested honey buzzards are barred but the juvenile is streaked rather like the changeable hawk-eagle, however if seen well the honey buzzard generally looks much more solidly orange-buffy as a base colour rather than whitish below. The flight actions of the honey buzzard are also distinct, with a more robotic even flap during flights. Juvenile crested serpent eagles, which are unlikely to be mistaken for the changeable other than at a distance and in flight, appear chunkier and less rangy with a bigger head, slightly longer wings and a substantially shorter tailed with fewer bars (these differences in proportions are generally applicable to various island serpent-eagle species that may be found with changeable hawk-eagles as well). Juvenile rufous-bellied eagles (Lophotriorchis kienerii) are rather smaller and more compact with a relatively longer winged and shorter tailed appearance. The rufous-bellied juvenile when compared to the juvenile changeable is generally purer white looking below which contrasts more strongly with their sparse blackish streaks. Dark morph changeable hawk-eagles may be confused with the similarly-sized but even more slender black eagle (Ictinaetus malaiensis). However, the latter is much longer winged with distinctly pinched-in bases, a uniformly dark tail and has small light feather bases only to primaries. Also dark morph can be told from dark morph booted eagles (Hieraeetus pennatus) by the latter being rather smaller, much shorter tailed and having relatively longer and more rectangular wings. Dark morph booted eagles are also grey-brown or cinnamon from below on the tail and have pale wedges on the underside of the primaries.
caption: The formidable talons of changeable hawk-eagle.
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