BK Lim photographed a Changeable Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus cirrhatus) with a rat clutched tightly in its talons sometime in February 2009.
This raptor normally catches its prey after a rapid stoop from a high perch. Its food includes small as well as large birds, snakes, frogs, lizards and mammals. Mammals taken include rats, squirrels and hares. According to R Subaraj, the rat here is most probably a house rat, .
This post is a cooperative effort between NaturePixels.org and BESG to bring the study of bird behaviour through photography to a wider audience.
4 responses
Stunning photo. Where are these birds found?
The Changeable Hawk Eagle is an uncommon resident in Singapore. Its range: N India, Nepal, Myanmar, Indochina, Malay Peninsula,Indonesia, Philippines…
Yes, we see them a lot in India, even in the southern parts.
Great photo! i wonder why they got their name, though?