| Madagascar serpent eagle | |
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Accipitriformes |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Subfamily: | Circaetinae |
| Genus: | Eutriorchis Sharpe, 1875 |
| Species: | E. astur |
| Binomial name | |
| Eutriorchis astur Sharpe, 1875 | |
TheMadagascar serpent eagle (Eutriorchis astur) is a species ofbird of prey in the familyAccipitridae. It is placed in themonotypic genusEutriorchis.[2]It isendemic toMadagascar.[1] Its naturalhabitat issubtropical ortropical moist lowlandforests. It is threatened byhabitat loss.
The Madagascar serpent eagle is a medium-sized raptor with a long rounded tail and short rounded wings.[3] It is dark grey on its back and a lighter grey on its belly, breast, and throat.[3] Dark barring covers the bird's body. It has yellow eyes and a sharp,hooked beak with strongtalons.[3] It measures 57 to 66 cm (22 to 26 in) long with a wingspan of 90 to 110 cm (35 to 43 in).[4]
This bird inhabits dense, humid, and broadleafed evergreen forests in northeastern and east-centralMadagascar. It rarely ventures above 550 meters (1800 ft).[3]
This serpent-eagle is diurnal. It eats lemurs both large and small, snakes, lizards, and frogs, which it hunts from high perches, swooping down from its perch and grasping its prey in its talons when it spots it.[3]
This species was believed to be extinct, with the last confirmed sighting being from 1930.[3] However, sightings in 1977 and 1988 led to hope for the species' rediscovery.[3] It was rediscovered in 1993 by thePeregrine Fund.
The Madagascar serpent eagle is listed as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, with an estimated population of 533 adults.[5] This species is threatened by the destruction of its specialized habitat and a presumed low rate of reproduction.[3]
The prefixeu- isGreek for "good".Triorchis is aLatinization (Pliny the Elder)[6] of Greektriórkhēs (τριόρχης), whichAristotle andTheophrastus used for a kind of hawk, possibly thecommon buzzard. The Greek word means "having threetesticles".[7] This erroneous bit of anatomy has been connected with the ease of mistaking a bird'sadrenal gland for a testicle.[8]
Astur is Latin for a kind of hawk.[9]
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