The black eagle (Ictinaetus malaiensis) is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and it is the only member of the genus Ictinaetus. It soars over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South and Southeast Asia, as well as southeastern China, hunting mammals and birds, particularly at their nests. It is easily identified by its widely splayed and long primary "fingers", the characteristic silhouette, slow flight and yellow ceres and legs that contrast with the dark feathers.

Taxonomy and systematics

The species name is spelt malayensis in many publications, but the original spelling used by Temminck in his description was malaiensis, according to a 2011 finding of some of the original covers of the part publications, leading to taxonomists applying the principle of priority and rejecting any later spelling emendations.

A molecular phylogenetic study of the Accipitridae published in 2024 found that the black eagle is sister to the three spotted eagles in the genus Clanga.

Two subspecies are recognised:

  • I. m. perniger (Hodgson, 1836) – north India and Nepal, Bhutan, south India and Sri Lanka.
  • I. m. malaiensis (Temminck, 1822) – Myanmar, Bangladesh, south China, southeast Asia and the Indonesian Archipelago (except the Lesser Sunda Islands).

Sexes are similar; young birds have a buff head, underparts and underwing coverts. The wing shape helps to distinguish this species from the dark form of changeable hawk-eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus). The tarsi are fully feathered and the toes are relatively stout and short, with long claws (particularly on the inner toe) that are less strongly curved than in other birds of prey.

Distribution and habitat

The black eagle breeds in tropical and subtropical Asia. Race perniger (Hodgson, 1836) is found in the Himalayan foothills west through Nepal into the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, and in the forests of the Eastern and Western Ghats in peninsular India and Sri Lanka. The bird's westernmost extent is to Gujarat, especially in the forested areas in southern and eastern Gujarat. The species also extends into the Aravalli range of northwestern India. The nominate race malaiensis (Temminck, 1822) is found in Myanmar, Bangladesh, southern China (Yunnan, Fujian) and Taiwan, into Southeast Asia.

It is generally resident, and no migration has been observed. Black eagles have been regularly observed in the skies of Bangladesh, where they are known to breed and thrive, particularly in the hilly and forested regions of the country. Their presence is most prominent in the southeastern and northeastern areas, where the terrain is characterized by dense forests and rolling hills. Among these regions, Chittagong and Sylhet stands out as a key habitat for the black eagle.

Behaviour and ecology

Breeding

The courtship display involves steep dives with folded wings with swoops up in a U shape into a vertical stall. The nest site may be reused year after year. Along with swallow-tailed kites it shares the unique habit of carrying away an entire nest with nestlings to a feeding perch. Squirrels, macaques and many species of birds emit alarm calls when these birds are spotted soaring over the forest. The Indian giant squirrel has been noted as a prey of this species, and young bonnet macaques may also fall prey to them.

Threats and survival

It is not threatened but is uncommon in large areas in its distribution. Shrinking of forested areas due to large-scale extraction has reduced its earlier range.

Relationship to humans

Due to this eagle's ability to remain aloft for long periods with minimal effort, the Lepcha people of India's Darjeeling district described it as 'the bird that never sat down', while the Soliga people's name (kaana kattale) recalls its black colour and its presence in forested areas.

References

  • Internet Bird Collection
  • Notes on the species in Java
  • Call and sonogram
  • Video of pair bathing in stream near nesting site

Historical publications

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  • Illustration and description (in French) by Temminck (Pl. Col. vol. 1, plate 117, pages 104–105.)
  • 1836 original description of Nepalese race as Aquila Pernigra by B. H. Hodgson (now a subspecies I. m. perniger).
  • 1843 proposal of new genus Heteropus by Hodgson, separated from Aquila based on the unusual form of the black eagle's foot. With a footnote by Blyth noting that Jerdon had sent specimens to the museum labeled Ictinaëtus ovivorus. Text and illustration.