''Spilornis'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
bird of prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed ...
in the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Accipitridae
The Accipitridae () is one of the four families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds of prey with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects ...
. As adults all have dark crowns, and bright yellow eyes and cere.
[Ferguson-Lees & Christie (2001). ''Raptors of the World.'' Christopher Helm, London. ] These medium-sized raptors are found in forests of southern Asia and are known as serpent-eagles, an English name shared with two African species from the genera ''
Dryotriorchis'' and ''
Eutriorchis''.
[
]
Etymology
''spilos'' "spot"; ορνις ''ornis'', ορνιθος ''ornithos'' "bird".
Species
As traditionally defined, there are 6 species in this genus. It has been proposed that several small island populations, usually included in the Crested Serpent Eagle
The crested serpent eagle (''Spilornis cheela'') is a medium-sized bird of prey that is found in forested habitats across tropical Asia. Within its widespread range across the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and East Asia, there are considera ...
, be split into separate species.[
]
References
Bird genera
Birds of prey of Asia
Birds of Indomalaya
Taxa named by George Robert Gray
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
{{Accipitriformes-stub