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| The Elusive Crested Killer of the Forest – The Jerdon’s Baza, Female |
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The Jerdon’s Baza is a medium-sized raptor with a prominent white-tipped black crest that is usually erect. Shows conspicuous pale reddish barring on a white belly. Smaller size and narrower wing bases in flight separate it from Hawk-Eagles, and longer wings and completely feathered legs at rest separate it from Crested Goshawk and other Accipiters. Sedentary across its range, occurring in wet tropical and subtropical forests across South and South East Asia. Difficult to see if not soaring; often tucked away in forest canopy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… The Jerdon’s Baza is a medium sized Raptor with a prominent crest, measuring 41 to 48 cm long, with a 117 cm wingspan and a weight of 353 gms. It is generally sluggish-looking brownish kite with long crest on pigeon-like head; dark crest feathers have white tip; flies with soft wingbeats of paddle-shaped wings. Iris golden-yellow to yellow-red, cere bluish to blackish grey, and legs yellow. The Female is fairly similar to male in size and plumage, but lacks grey on head and upperparts, has yellower-buff bars below and more broken throat-stripe. Juvenile like female, with brown iris and paler whitish-yellow legs, but head darker and breast streaked; has one additional, narrower tailband. Achieves adult plumage in second year. Five subspecies are recognised and the Races generally differ mainly in size and intensity of coloration, ranging from dark and strongly patterned. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… It is confusable with Crested Goshawk or the Changeable Hawk-Eagle in flight, but can be distinguished by the longer upright crest, very broad and rounded paddle-shaped wings and mostly plain and pale underparts. It has a white chin and a bold black mesial stripe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… The Jerdon’s Baza s a resident of the Terai of North India and foothills of the Eastern Himalayas from Eastern Nepal and Bengal Duars to the Assam Valley, Western Ghats in Southern India, Southern Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Sumatra, Singapore and Philippines. Found in moist deciduous and lowland Dipterocarp to evergreen tropical forest, forest edge and clearings, in foothills from 150 mtrs to 1100 mtrs, and locally down to sea-level and up to 1850 mtrs; also around quiet backwaters; typically in rainforest, but in Sumatra mostly recorded in coastal swamp forest; occurs over mountain grassland in Sulawesi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… The bird is typically seen in pairs making aerial sallies; crest held erect. Occasionally, the birds may be seen in small family parties of 3 to 5 seen in flight near edge of forests. The birds indulge in ‘soaring and undulating’ display flights near the nest. Breeding season varies locally but the bird is known to breed almost the entire year with the exception of a few months around April and May. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… Its Diet is chiefly large insects (e.g. Orthopterans, Cicadas, Beetles) and their larvae, but also lizards, small mammals and frogs; a few records of small snakes, one of them an Oriental Whipsnake. Hunts from concealed perch, making short sallies to ground or adjacent foliage when prey sighted. Reports of crepuscular (Low Light) activity not verified. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… Display flights are accompanied by loud sharp “kip-kip-kip…” or “tchip, tchep-tchep-tchep…” calls, rising in pitch and volume before dying away, while in other situations gives plaintive mewing vocalizations of varying length, e.g. a mewing “fi-weeoo” and a slightly melancholy “pe-weeoo” or “pi-weeu” call, given 3 to 4 times, occasionally more persistently. Also “ki-kiya” (context unknown). At nest, both sexes utter soft contact calls, “tjip-tjip”, repeated several times. …. ………. …… ………….. ………… ………… …. … … …… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …… ………….. …………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …… ………….. ………….. …… ………….. …………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …………. ….. ………. …… ………… ………….. ………….. ….. ………. …….. ………… ………….. ….. ……….. …… ………….. ………… ……….. Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornell Lab), Oiseaux, Birda, Animalia, Birds of India | Bird World, Bird Count India & Wiki. |
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