Circaetinae is a bird of prey

Bird of prey

Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....

 subfamily which consists of a group of medium to large broad-winged species. These are mainly bird

Bird

Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...

s which specialise in feeding on snakes and other reptiles, which is the reason most are named as "snake-eagles" or "serpent-eagles". The only exception is the Bateleur

Bateleur

The Bateleur is a medium-sized eagle in the bird family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as buzzards, kites and harriers...

, a more generalised hunter. All the subfamily are restricted to warmer parts of the Old World

Old World

The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....

.

They have hooked beak

Beak

The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...

s for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs and powerful talon

Talon

A talon is a sharp claw of an animal, especially a bird of prey, such as the eagle, hawk, falcon, owl, or buzzard. It may also refer to:Places:* Talon, Nièvre, a commune in the Nièvre département in France...

s. They also have extremely keen eyesight to enable them to spot potential prey from a distance.

Species

• Genus Circaetus
  Circaetus
  Circaetus, the snake eagles, is a genus of medium-sized eagles in the bird of prey family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as buzzards and harriers....
  
  
  • Short-toed Snake Eagle, C. gallicus
  • Black-chested Snake Eagle, C. pectoralis
  • Brown Snake Eagle, C. cinereus
  • Southern Banded Snake Eagle, C. fasciolatus
  • Western Banded Snake Eagle, C. cinerascens
• Genus Spilornis
  Spilornis
  Spilornis is a genus of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. As adults all have dark crowns, and bright yellow eyes and cere. 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...
  
  
  • Crested Serpent Eagle
    Crested Serpent Eagle
    The Crested Serpent Eagle is a medium-sized bird of prey that is found in forested habitats across tropical Asia. Within its widespread range, there are considerable variations and some authorities prefer to treat several of its subspecies as completely separate species. In the past, several...
    
    , S. cheela
    • Bawean Serpent Eagle, S. (cheela) baweanus
  • Great Nicobar Serpent Eagle, S. klossi
  • Mountain Serpent Eagle
    Mountain Serpent Eagle
    The Mountain Serpent Eagle , also known as the Kinabalu Serpent Eagle, is a bird of prey that is found in northern Borneo. It is found at altitudes of in forest, especially where it becomes stunted. Where their range overlaps, the Crested Serpent Eagle generally occurs at lower altitudes...
    
    ,S. kinabaluensis
  • Sulawesi Serpent Eagle, S. rufipectus
  • Philippine Serpent Eagle
    Philippine Serpent Eagle
    The Philippine Serpent Eagle, Spilornis holospilus, is an eagle found in the major islands of the Philippines. It is sometimes treated as a race of the Crested Serpent Eagle . This species is usually found in forest clearings, open woodlands, and sometimes in cultivated lands with scattered...
    
    , S. holospilus
  • Andaman Serpent Eagle, S. elgini
• Genus Eutriorchis
  • Madagascar Serpent Eagle, E. astur
• Genus Terathopius
  • Bateleur
    Bateleur
    The Bateleur is a medium-sized eagle in the bird family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as buzzards, kites and harriers...
    
    , T. ecaudatus