Raptors are always fascinating. They are birds of prey. They are nightmares for their preys. Here is a list of 20 deadly raptors of Assam.
Crested Serpent Eagle
Scientific Name: Spilornis cheela
Conservation Status: Least Concern
This is a medium sized eagle. From the name of the bird itself, one can get to know about its food habit. Crested Serpent Eagle feeds on snakes, lizards, small birds and fishes. This resident breeder of Asia looks for kill by hovering over the canopies. The color of face and legs are yellow with white and yellow dotted underpart. In some places of India, it becomes active only in summer. This bird makes nest near rivers and breeds in the early summer. This is one of the most common raptors of Assam.
Changeable Hawk Eagle
Scientific Name: Nisaetus cirrhatus
Conservation Status: Least Concern
The Changeable Hawk Eagle or Crested Hawk Eagle is a medium to large sized bird of prey found in the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia. A recent study reveals that there are two distinct groups of this eagle; one is with crest and the other is without or with hardly visible crest. The name, Changeable Hawk Eagle is slightly misleading as there are two colour morphs available of this eagle; one is dark morph and the other is light morph. This expert predator feeds on different kinds of preys like small mammals, birds and snakes.
Steppe Eagle
Scientific Name: Aquila nipalensis
Conservation Status: Endangered
This large and bulky eagle species is a specialized predator of ground squirrels on the breeding ground. The Steppe Eagle is the only eagle species who nests primarily on the ground. As per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, this species is now endangered.
Jerdon’s Baza
Scientific Name: Aviceda jerdoni
Conservation Status: Least Concern
This is a medium-sized bird of prey found in southeast Asia. The Jerdon’s Baza is looked like a Crested Goshawk or Changeable Hawk Eagle in flight. The prominent white tipped black crest which is usually held erected is the unmistakable identifier of this raptor.
Long-legged Buzzard
Scientific Name: Buteo rufinus
Conservation Status: Least Concern
This active and powerful predator is the largest species of bird in Buteo genus. This bird of prey is found in several parts of Eurasia and in north Africa. The habitat of Long-legged Buzzard is open uncultivated areas with high bushes, trees, cliffs or hillocks. Small mammals, birds and insects are hunted by this raptor.
Oriental Honey Buzzard
Scientific Name: Pernis ptilorhynchus
Conservation Status: Least Concern
The Oriental Honey Buzzard is a large raptor of lowland and montane broadleaf and mixed forest. The name of this species derives from its food habit. This bird mainly feeds on larvae of honey and wasps. Oriental Honey Buzzard is a commonly found raptor of Assam.
Shikra
Scientific Name: Accipiter badius
Conservation Status: Least Concern
The Shikra is a small bird of prey found in Asia and Africa. Usual habitats of Shikra are forest, farmland and urban area. In India it breeds during March to June. Shikra is a diurnal raptor and they spend the daytime flying high searching for prey. This is also one of the common raptors of Assam.
Collared Falconet
Scientific Name: Microhierax caerulescens
Conservation Status: Least Concern
The Collared Falconet is a very small sized bird of prey with an average length of 18 cm. It has shortish wings, medium-length tail, strong half-fathered legs and powerful feet. They are usually seen perched high up on exposed branches of open deciduous forests. This small raptor is found in the Manas National Park in Assam.
Eastern Marsh Harrier
Scientific Name: Circus spilonotus
Conservation Status: Least Concern
The Eastern Marsh Harrier is a winter migratory bird to the northeastern part of India. Their main foods are small mammals, birds and frogs. Like many other birds of prey, the female Eastern Marsh Harrier is a little larger in size than the male. The plumage of the male bird is variable and the female is of dark brown colour with buff streaking on the head and underparts. This bird is seen in the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam.
Hen Harrier
Scientific Name: Circus cyaneus
Conservation Status: Least Concern
The term Hen Harrier derives from the bird’s earlier habit of preying on free ranging fowl. Like some other harrier species, this bird is also sexually dimorphic. The male is grey above and white below while the female is brown above and white upper tail coverts. Almost 95% of their foods are small mammals. The global population of Hen Harriers is decreasing. But such decrease is still not alarming and hence this species is considered as Least Concern species in the IUCN red list. This raptor is seen in Dorabeel, and Manas National Park, Assam.
Peregrine Falcon
Scientific Name: Falco peregrinus
Conservation Status: Least Concern
This is a cosmopolitan bird of prey in the family Falconidae. The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest member of the animal kingdom. The diving speed of this bird is 320 kmph (200 mph). But as per the National Geographic TV, the highest measured speed of Peregrine Falcon is 389 kmph (242 mph). This lightning-fast falcon feeds on small to medium sized birds. Like some other falcons, Peregrine Falcon is also sexually dimorphic and the females are considerably larger than the males.
Crested Goshawk
Scientific Name: Accipiter trivirgatus
Conservation Status: Least Concern
This lowland raptor is a resident breeder of southern Asia. The male bird has a dark brown crown while the larger female has a brown head and underparts. The male is 30-46 cm in length. The larger size and a short, visible crest are the distinctions from its close relatives, the Besra. This bird is found in the Garbhanga Reserve Forest of Assam.
Gray-headed Fish Eagle
Scientific Name: Haliaeetus ichthyaetus
Conservation Status: Near Threatened
This large eagle having dark brown back and gray head is a resident breeder in India and Southeast Asia. Gray-headed Fish Eagle makes nest near lakes or such large waterbodies or slow moving river. Normally they hunt alone but sometimes seen in pair. As the name suggests, their primary food is fish.
Pallas’s Fish Eagle
Scientific Name: Haliaeetus leucoryphus
Conservation Status: Endangered
The Pallas’s Fish Eagle is an Endangered species as per the IUCN red list. This partially migratory large raptor is a resident breeder of the Indian subcontinent. As the name suggests, the main diet of this bird is freshwater fish. Apart from fish, its regular diet is birds, especially water birds. But sometimes it feeds on rodents, frogs, reptiles including snakes and insects. This raptor is found in the Kaziranga National Park in Assam.
Common Kestrel
Scientific Name: Falco tinnunculus
Conservation Status: Least Concern
The Common Kestrel is a bird of prey which is widely distributed in Europe, Asia and Africa as well as occasional visitor to the coastline of North America. This is a winter migrant to India. The primary diet of this bird is small mammals including frogs, lizards and bats. This is one of the most common and omnipresent birds of Assam.
Osprey
Scientific Name: Pandion haliaetus
Conservation Status: Least Concern
This large fish-eating raptor is widely distributed across the world. It is found in all the continents except Antarctica. They are residents of diversified habitats. An Osprey can spot an underwater fish by hovering over the waterbody and catches it with its claw by plunging into the water, sometimes submerging the whole body. They usually eat the prey on a perch near the water body. This skilled fish-eating raptor is commonly seen everywhere in Assam.
Black Eagle
Scientific Name: Ictinaetus malaiensis
Conservation Status: Least Concern
The Black Eagle is a large bird of prey with a body length of 75 cm and a massive wingspan of 148 – 182 cm (4 ft. 10 inches to 6 ft.). Both the sexes are similar. Adults have all black plumage with a yellow bill base and feet. Juveniles have a buff head and underparts. Black Eagles are forest dwelling bird in south and southeast Asia. They feed on mammals, birds and eggs.
Black-winged Kite
Scientific Name: Elanus caeruleus
Conservation Status: Least Concern
This medium-sized kite is found in open savannah, semi desert and agricultural land with scattered woods in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical Asia. This bird of prey is known for its habit of hovering over open grasslands. The colour of this raptor is predominantly white or grey with black patches on the shoulder. Black-winged Kite is a an easily found raptor of Assam.
Black Kite
Scientific Name: Milvus migrans
Conservation Status: Least Concern
This is a carnivorous bird found in several places in the world including Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. The estimated present global population of Black Kite is almost 6 million. They inhabit near human populated areas like cities, towns etc. Black Kite forage in the garbage dumps and wastages. This is one of the most common bird of prey found in Assam.
Black Baza
Scientific Name: Aviceda leuphotes
Conservation Status: Least Concern
The Black Baza is a small raptor found in the dense forests of northeastern India, eastern Himalayas, China and southeast Asia. With the contrasting patterns and a prominent crest, this bird is easily identifiable. It feeds mainly on small insects by making aerial sallies.
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