Blyth's hawk-eagle is a medium-sized bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae.
Region
Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs from southern Myanmar and Thailand through Peninsular Malaysia to Sumatra and Borneo, including Brunei and parts of Indonesian Kalimantan. It favors primary evergreen rainforest but also uses tall secondary forest, edges, and ridgelines with emergent trees. The species typically hunts from concealed perches, making short, powerful strikes into the canopy. It is most often encountered in hilly and foothill forests and along forested rivers. In heavily fragmented landscapes, it persists where large trees suitable for nesting remain.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Blyth's hawk-eagle is a medium-sized forest raptor of Southeast Asia, notable for its bold black-and-white plumage and prominent crest. It hunts stealthily from perches within or above the canopy, ambushing birds, arboreal mammals, and reptiles. Ongoing forest loss affects its numbers locally, but it can persist in selectively logged forests where large trees remain.
Blythe's hawk-eagle in Peninsular Malaysia
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
soaring glider with occasional powerful flaps
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, maintaining territories over tracts of forest. Pairs are monogamous and build large stick nests high in emergent trees. Clutches are typically a single egg, with prolonged incubation and post-fledging dependence.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives high-pitched, thin whistles and piping calls, often delivered from a perch or during display soaring. Calls can be repeated in short series, carrying over the forest canopy. Vocal activity increases in early morning.
