Rufous-bellied Eagle

Scientific Name: Lophotriorchis kienerii
Malay Name: Helang Perut Merah
Chinese Name: 棕腹隼雕

Range:
Found from India to Sri Lanka, Hainan Island and Southeast Asia.

Taxonomy:
Polytypic. Subspecies are: kienerii, formosus.

Local Subspecies: formosus

Size: 53-61 cm

Identification:
Adult has slight crest, blackish head-sides/upperparts, whitish throat/upperbreast and rufous-chestnut belly/vent. In flight shows mostly rufous-chestnut wing-coverts. Juvenile has browner upperparts, whitish head-sides with blackish eyeline and mostly whitish underparts/wing coverts.

Similar looking species: Changeable Hawk-Eagle

Habitat: Forest, forest edge, secondary growth and suitable wooded areas.

Behaviour/Ecology: Usually glides and soars with wings held level.

Local Status: Rare migrant

Conservation Status: Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2020)

Location: Central Catchment Forest, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Dairy Farm Nature Park, Bukit Batok Nature Park, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Bidadari and Lorong Halus.

Photos:

Rufous-bellied Eagle at Bukit Drive. Photo credit: Francis Yap

Adult Rufous-bellied Eagle at Jelutong Tower. Photo Credit: Leslie Fung

Juvenile Rufous-bellied Eagle at Bidadari. Photo Credit: Alan Ng

Juvenile Rufous-bellied Eagle at Panti Bird Sanctuary. Photo Credit: See Toh Yew Wai

Juvenile Rufous-bellied Eagle at Bukit Timah. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

Juvenile Rufous-bellied Eagle at Bukit Timah. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

Juvenile Rufous-bellied Eagle at Bukit Timah. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

External Links:
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Photos: Oriental Bird Images
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

References:
BirdLife International. (2020). Lophotriorchis kienerii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020. Downloaded on 2 September 2021
Robson, C. (2008). A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia. New Holland Publishers.