Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela): The Snake Hunter of the Asian Skies

This afternoon when I was walking in the Banda Aceh city forest, I saw one of the eagles perched casually, an eagle, namely the Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela). This species is one of the famous eagles in Asia, including Indonesia. Known as the "snake eagle" by local residents because of its habit of preying on snakes, which are its main food besides amphibians and other small reptiles. With dark brown feathers and a tufted or crested head, the Crested Serpent Eagle has a dashing appearance that makes it easy to recognize when flying around

This eagle has a sturdy body with a body length of around 50-74 cm and a wingspan of 109-169 cm. The underside of its wings which looks patterned when flying is one of its characteristics, besides its sharp gaze with striking yellow irises. In the wild, the Crested Serpent Eagle is more often found in tropical and subtropical forests, including in the lowlands to the mountains.

The Crested Serpent Eagle lives spread from South Asia, Southeast Asia, to Indonesia. In Indonesia itself, we can find it on various large islands such as Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Java, although its population in some places is increasingly threatened by habitat destruction.

As a reliable snake predator, the Crested Serpent Eagle often watches its prey from a height, such as perching on a treetop or hill. Once it sees its prey, it will swoop down quickly and subdue its prey with a strong grip from its claws. Its diet also includes lizards, frogs, and other small animals found around the forest.

The Crested Serpent Eagle plays an important role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem by controlling the population of snakes and other reptiles. Its presence helps prevent the population explosion of these animals in the wild. So it is important to continue to protect the existence of this eagle species. Hopefully this post can be useful information for all of you.