Rufous-bellied Eagle
Lophotriorchis kienerii
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
- FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
- GenusLophotriorchis
- SpeciesLophotriorchis kienerii (Rufous-bellied Eagle)
About the Rufous-bellied Eagle
The rufous-bellied eagle or rufous-bellied hawk-eagle (Lophotriorchis kienerii) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae that is found in the forested regions of tropical Asia. Relatively small for eagles and contrastingly patterned like a falcon, this species was earlier placed in the genus Hieraaetus and sometimes also in the genus Aquila but thought to be distinctive enough to belong to a separate genus.
This eagle was described as Astur Kienerii and illustrated as Falco Kienerii by "G. S." (Gustave de Sparre, though sometimes erroneously attributed to Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire) in 1834–1835. De Sparre's description was based on a specimen from the Himalayas in the collection of "M. le prince d'Essling".
It was later moved to Limnaetus by Jerdon, the genus Lophotriorchis and still later to Hieraaetus, the so-called "hawk-eagles". A study of the phylogeny of some Hieraaetus species and other eagles indicated that they were nested within the Aquila clade of eagles, resulting in their repositioning. Another molecular study of the eagles suggested that kienerii was distinctive enough to be retained in a separate genus for which the name Kienastur had... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Rufous-bellied Eagle in Nagarhole National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Nagarhole National Park
Crested Serpent Eagle
Spilornis cheela
Brahminy Kite
Haliastur indus
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Pernis ptilorhynchus
Crested Hawk-Eagle
Nisaetus cirrhatus
Indian White-rumped Vulture
Gyps bengalensis
Red-headed Vulture
Sarcogyps calvus
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Gray-headed Fish-Eagle
Icthyophaga ichthyaetus
Black-winged Kite
Elanus caeruleus
Black Eagle
Ictinaetus malayensis
White-eyed Buzzard
Butastur teesa
Booted Eagle
Hieraaetus pennatus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Rufous-bellied Eagle in Nagarhole National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-bellied Eagle sighting in Nagarhole National Park, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Rufous-bellied Eagle in Nagarhole National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Rufous-bellied Eagle in Nagarhole National Park in our monthly data.