Flores Hawk-eagle
Encyclopedia
The Flores Hawk-eagle, Nisaetus floris (formerly Spizaetus floris), is a fairly large, up to 79 centimetres (31.1 in) long, raptor
in the family Accipitridae
. Adults have dark brown upperparts, a brown tail with six bars, a white patch in the wings that is visible in flight, white underparts, and a white head with fine brownish streaks on the crown (many books erroneously illustrate adults with largely brown heads). It has traditionally been treated as a subspecies
of the Changeable Hawk-eagle; at least in part because of confusion over the true adult plumage of the Flores Hawk-eagle, which resembles the juvenile of the Changeable Hawk-eagle. Unlike that species, adult and juvenile Flores Hawk-eagles are quite similar.
An Indonesia
n endemic
, the Flores Hawk-eagle is distributed in forests of Flores
, Lombok
and Sumbawa
in the Lesser Sundas. It mainly occurs in lowlands, but has been recorded at altitudes as high as 1600 metres (5,249.3 ft). The diet consists mainly of birds, lizards, snakes and mammals.
Due to ongoing habitat loss within its small range, capture for the cage bird trade and persecution due to its habit of taking chickens, the Flores Hawk-eagle is evaluated as critically endangered
on the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species. It is estimated that less than 100 pairs remain.
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....
in the family Accipitridae
Accipitridae
The Accipitridae, one of the two major families within the order Accipitriformes , are a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals, with a number feeding on carrion and a...
. Adults have dark brown upperparts, a brown tail with six bars, a white patch in the wings that is visible in flight, white underparts, and a white head with fine brownish streaks on the crown (many books erroneously illustrate adults with largely brown heads). It has traditionally been treated as a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Changeable Hawk-eagle; at least in part because of confusion over the true adult plumage of the Flores Hawk-eagle, which resembles the juvenile of the Changeable Hawk-eagle. Unlike that species, adult and juvenile Flores Hawk-eagles are quite similar.
An Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n endemic
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
, the Flores Hawk-eagle is distributed in forests of Flores
Flores
Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. The population was 1.831.000 in the 2010 census and the largest town is Maumere. Flores is Portuguese for "flowers".Flores is located east of Sumbawa...
, Lombok
Lombok
Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east...
and Sumbawa
Sumbawa
Sumbawa is an Indonesian island, located in the middle of the Lesser Sunda Islands chain, with Lombok to the west, Flores to the east, and Sumba further to the southeast. It is in the province of West Nusa Tenggara....
in the Lesser Sundas. It mainly occurs in lowlands, but has been recorded at altitudes as high as 1600 metres (5,249.3 ft). The diet consists mainly of birds, lizards, snakes and mammals.
Due to ongoing habitat loss within its small range, capture for the cage bird trade and persecution due to its habit of taking chickens, the Flores Hawk-eagle is evaluated as critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of Threatened Species. It is estimated that less than 100 pairs remain.