changeable hawk eagles @ tanah merah - Nov2012

Tanah Merah seems to be a good spot (for now) to see Changeable Hawk Eagles. This species comes in two main morphs...pale or dark (and quite a few variations in between depending on the stage of maturity of the bird). The clip shows three different birds.
The first is seated on a Casuarina branch silhouetted by the morning sun. It was observed for about 5 minutes before it took flight calling whilst it flew off.
The second was seated on another tree looking around whilst highlighted by the morning sun. This one had a rich brown colour and the distinctive yellow feet can be clearly seen.
The third hawk eagle was a juvenile pale morph. This one had a white head and a pale coloured body with dark grey wings. It also had a small black crest atop its head. When it was first noticed, it was wagging its tail from side to side. Facing away from its observers, it was quite content until a motorbiker came by. Unfortunately, the noise from the bike set the bird off and it took off deeper into the nearby forest.

changeable hawk eagles @ tanah merah - Nov2012 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.

Habitat loss continues to be a problem for these shy birds which seem to prefer more quiet and non-habited areas.

Find out more about these rarely seen Singapore resident birds here :

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=31546

http://www.besgroup.org/2007/10/07/changeable-hawk-eagle-pale-x-dark-morph/

http://www.besgroup.org/2007/08/16/portrait-of-an-eagle-changeable-hawk-eagle/

 http://besgroup.blogspot.com/2007/01/changeable-eagle-attacking-colugo.html

http://www.besgroup.org/2006/11/02/changeable-hawk-eagle-and-the-long-tailed-macaque/

http://www.besgroup.org/2007/07/21/changeable-hawk-eagle-nesting-observations/

http://nusavifauna.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/changeable-hawk-eagle/

http://singaporebirds.blogspot.com/2012/06/buttonquail.html

http://www.xeno-canto.org/species/Nisaetus-cirrhatus

http://wildbirdsingapore.nss.org.sg/Raptor%20Manual_circa.pdf