Kluee-wip-wip (I’ll be back)!

A Crested Serpent Eagle asks you to wait for him

“Sorry about that, I saw a juicy lizard scuttling about and had to swoop on it. Unfortunately it heard me shouting to you and hid in a hole. You’re that reporter fellow who interviews animals right? I’ll gladly give you an interview. Pity about that lizard though. But then, when you're a heavily built eagle - don’t you dare call me fat - you can’t be flying around all the time. That’s why I perch and wait and swoop only if it’s a certain kill. Very efficient. Almost never fails on serpents, lizards, mammals and fish… and other birds too.”

Fun Facts

“The hunting technique works really well when I stay in one spot, because my black tail, yellowish-brown underparts, and bushy crest, blend in well with the trees. Ah but when I fly, yeah that’s when it all goes to pieces. Black and white broad bar patterns on the underside of my wings… sigh. It screams out to my prey, YOOHOO I’M HERE! Evolution didn’t get that one right. Which is why I stick to my wait-and-dive-at-the-last-moment technique. Ooh look, there’s a fat snake that just popped out of a log, got to go, bye!”

Story of the Photo

Dilum was out on a morning safari in Wilpattu when he got this great picture of the eagle just as it took off on a hunt. Eagle eyed visitors to the Mahoora Tented Safari Camp in Wilpattu can spot them in the trees near the camp, as there is plenty of prey around for this bird to catch..