The crested goshawk, or Accipiter trivirgatus, is a tropical bird of prey found in India, Sri Lanka, southern China, Indonesia, Taiwan and the Philippines. It may be found in broadleaf and coniferous forests, urban parklands and marshes and occasionally in mangroves. It is widespread in tall evergreen and semi-evergreen lowland forests.
This bird is very similar in appearance to the besra except that as its name suggests, it has a crest. The crest is usually held low and not very visible, except in profile. It is also larger than the besra and appears somewhat stockier. It has a gray head, brown wings, whitish underparts and dark bands on its tail. It has yellow eyes and feet. As it is a forest hawk, its broad short wings and long tail are adapted to manoeuvre through dense trees. The female bird is much larger than the male. It hunts squirrels, rodents, bats, birds and reptiles relying on surprise as it makes a sudden dart from a concealed perch to catch its prey unawares. It uses the lower canopy or the mid-stratum of a forest to take prey from the air, trees or the ground. Its call is a high-pitched ‘chiuo’ or a shrill, prolonged ‘he-he-he-he-he’.
It builds a nest made of sticks and leaves in a fork high up in a tree and lays 2 to 3 white, unmarked eggs. The incubation period is 34 to 39 days. It is listed under ‘Least Concern’ in the IUCN Red List.
Picture Credit : Google
