Unusual Eagle Sparks Curiosity, Rescued Safely In Nittamamidi

Visakhapatnam: A rare and striking bird of prey created both panic and curiosity among villagers of Nittamamidi under Jerrela panchayat in ASR district after it was found struggling in agricultural fields.

Unfamiliar with the crested serpent eagle's (Spilornis cheela) unusual appearance, villagers were initially alarmed, as it looked different from the common eagles seen in the region. However, they soon gathered courage, rescued the bird, brought it into the village, and offered it water.

Local youth shared photographs and videos of the bird on social media and alerted forest officials. The visuals quickly went viral, drawing people from nearby villages eager to catch a glimpse of the rare visitor. Although the incident occurred last Sunday, the videos continue to circulate widely, according to local sources.

District forest officer Y.V. Narasimha Rao said the bird had no visible injuries. Forest personnel later released it safely into the wild on the outskirts of the village within an hour of taking custody.

Providing details, the DFO identified the bird as the crested serpent eagle (spilornis cheela), a medium-sized bird of prey commonly found in forest habitats across tropical Asia. Its distribution spans the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and East Asia, with notable variations across regions.

He added that birds such as the Philippine Serpent Eagle (Spilornis holospila), Andaman Serpent Eagle (Spilornis elgini), and South Nicobar Serpent Eagle (Spilornis klossi) were earlier considered subspecies of the Crested Serpent Eagle.

“All members of this group have a prominent head, and the long feathers at the back form a distinctive crest resembling a mane,” the DFO explained.