EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

The Changeable Eagle

Changeable Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus), Family Accipitridae
Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Explanation:  Here is perched a Changeable Hawk-Eagle.  But don't wait for it to ... change.  There are really only two color morphs of this species, a dark form and a pale form.  And they don't change back and forth.  Silly name for such a beautiful bird of prey.

Found throughout south and southeast Asia, the Changeable Hawk-Eagle seem secure and is listed as "Least Concern" by IUCN, although populations apparently are decreasing locally due to disturbance by people.

Also called the Crested Hawk-Eagle for its head crest, the species is resident in broadleaf forests, is usually solitary, and often perches high up in the subcanopy of trees along openings, surveilling for prey.