About the Mountain Hawk-Eagle
The mountain hawk-eagle or Hodgson's hawk-eagle, is a large bird of prey native to Asia. The latter name is in reference to the naturalist, Brian Houghton Hodgson, who described the species after collecting one himself in the Himalayas. A less widely recognized common English name is the feather-toed eagle. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae. Its feathered tarsus marks this species as a member of the subfamily Aquilinae. It is a confirmed breeding species in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, from India, Nepal through Bangladesh to Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam and Japan, although its distribution could be wider still as breeding species. Like other Asian hawk-eagles, this species was earlier treated under the genera of Spizaetus but genetic studies have shown this group to be paraphyletic, resulting in the Old World members being placed in Nisaetus and separated from the New World species. As is typical of hawk-eagles, the mountain hawk-eagle is a forest dwelling opportunistic predator who readily varies its prey selection between birds, mammals and reptiles along with other vertebrates. Although classified currently as a least-concern species due its persistence over a rather wide distribution, this species is often quite rare and scarce and seems to be decreasing, especially in response to large-scale habitat degradation and deforestation.
Source: Wikipedia
Taxonomy & Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Hawks, Eagles, and Kites (Accipitridae) |
| Species | Nisaetus nipalensis |
| Species Codes | mouhae1, MOHE, MHEA |
| Conservation | NT Near Threatened |
Frequently Asked Questions
What family does the Mountain Hawk-Eagle belong to?
The Mountain Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus nipalensis) belongs to the Hawks, Eagles, and Kites family (Accipitridae), in the order Accipitriformes.
What is the conservation status of the Mountain Hawk-Eagle?
The Mountain Hawk-Eagle is classified as "Near Threatened" (NT) by IUCN Red List.
How can I identify the Mountain Hawk-Eagle?
The mountain hawk-eagle or Hodgson's hawk-eagle, is a large bird of prey native to Asia. The latter name is in reference to the naturalist, Brian Houghton Hodgson, who described the species after collecting one himself in the Himalayas. A less widely recognized common English name is the feather-toe...
Where can I report a Mountain Hawk-Eagle sighting?
You can log sightings of Mountain Hawk-Eagle on eBird (ebird.org) using species code mouhae1, or on iNaturalist.