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| Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela minimus
- Comparison |
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| Photographer : | © Anand Krishnan/Smithsonian Institution |
| Location : | Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA |
| Date : |
19 May 2016 |
| English synonyms: | Serpent Eagle, Crested Serpent-eagle, Ceylon Serpent Eagle (spilogaster), Ceylon Serpent-eagle (spilogaster), Ryukyu Serpent Eagle (perplexus), Ryukyu Serpent-eagle (perplexus), Simalur Serpent Eagle (abbotti), Simeulue Serpent Eagle (abbotti), Simeulue Serpent-eagle (abbotti), Nias Serpent Eagle (asturinus), Nias Serpent-eagle (asturinus), Mentawai Serpent Eagle (sipora), Mentawai Serpent-eagle (sipora), Natuna Serpent Eagle (natunensis), Natuna Serpent-eagle (natunensis), Bawean Serpent Eagle (baweanus), Bawean Serpent-eagle (baweanus), Andaman Pale Serpent Eagle (davisoni), Andaman Pale Serpent-eagle (davisoni), Pale Andaman Serpent Eagle (davisoni), Pale Andaman Serpent-eagle (davisoni), Central Nicobar Serpent Eagle (minimus), Central Nicobar Serpent-eagle (minimus), Nicobar Serpent Eagle (minimus), Nicobar Serpent-eagle (minimus), Small Serpent Eagle (minimus), Small Serpent-eagle (minimus) |
| Bird Family : | Accipitrinae - Hawks, Bazas, Honey-buzzards, Eagles, Kites, Vultures, Harriers & Buzzards |
| Bird Group : | CICONIIFORMES |
| Red Data Status : | Least Concern |
| Remarks : | Comparison of female Spilornis cheela minimus (top, USNM 178438) with female S. klossi (bottom, USNM 178432). Note that females are slightly larger than the males in both species, though still much smaller than other serpent-eagles. S. klossi is overall much lighter, with clear countershading (the underparts are much lighter than the upperparts, with no spotting), and brownish edges to the crest feathers with no white. S. c. minimus is darker (though appearing somewhat paler than specimens of S. c. cheela), with whitish edges to crest feathers and bold white spotting on the underparts. S. c. minimus also appears to have a deeper, more heavyset bill than S. klossi.
Specimens are held in the collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The photographer thanks Chris Milensky and Brian Schmidt at the museum's Division of Birds for access to specimens. |
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