Crested Hawk-eagle or Changeable Hawk-eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus) - Uda Walawa, Sri Lanka
Canon 7D
Canon 500mm F4 L IS plus 1.4 Extender
F5.6
ISO250
1/2500th
Tripod
Evaluative Metering -1/3
Text adapted from - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changeable_Hawk-eagle
The Crested hawk-eagle is a medium-large raptor at about 60–72 cm in length. It is a relatively slender forest eagle with some subspecies (especially limnaetus) being dimorphic giving the name of "Changeable". This, and also a complicated phylogeny further complicates precise identification.
Normally brown above; white below with barring on the undersides of the flight feathers and tail; black longitudinal streaks on throat and chocolate streaks on breast. Some subspecies have a crest of four feathers, but this is all but absent in others. Sexes alike; female larger, and young birds are often whiter-headed and less patterned.
Changeable Hawk Eagles eat mammals, birds and reptiles. They like to keep a sharp lookout perched bolt upright on a bough amongst the canopy foliage of some high tree standing near a forest clearing. There they wait for junglefowl, pheasants, hares and other small animals coming out into the open. The bird then swoops down forcefully, strikes, and bears the prey away in its talons.
Location: Uda Walawa Sri Lanka