Jerdon's baza is a moderate sized brown hawk with a thin white-tipped black crest usually held erect. It is found in South-east Asia. It inhabits foothills in the terai and is rarer in evergreen forests and tea estates.
Region
South and Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs from the eastern Himalayan foothills of northeastern India through Bangladesh and Myanmar into Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and southern China. It favors wooded foothills, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, and riverine forest edges. Most records are from the Terai and lower hill belts; it is scarcer inside dense evergreen interiors and in tea estates. Often encountered along forest margins, clearings, and tall secondary growth where it can perch and scan the canopy.
Altitude Range
100–1800 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Jerdon's baza is a forest raptor notable for its slim, white-tipped black crest, which it often holds erect when alert. It hunts largely by quietly perching within or above the canopy and making short sallies to snatch large insects such as cicadas and mantises. Its mellow, mewing whistles can carry far over forested valleys, often giving away its presence before it is seen.
Temperament
shy and inconspicuous
Flight Pattern
buoyant flier with short glides and soaring circles
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, often perched unobtrusively within the canopy. Displays include circling and calling above the forest during the breeding season. Nests are stick platforms placed high in tall trees; the clutch is small, typically one or two eggs, with both adults attending.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives mellow, mewing whistles and drawn-out pee-oo notes, repeated at intervals from exposed perches or during lazy display flights. Calls carry well over forested slopes but are not given continuously.
Plumage
Overall brown with paler underparts showing rufous to chestnut barring and fine streaking; tail and wings show bold dark barring. The crown bears a thin, white-tipped black crest. Throat is pale with subtle streaking and a darker mesial line.
Diet
Primarily takes large insects such as cicadas, mantises, locusts, beetles, and stick insects. It will also seize small lizards, tree frogs, and occasionally small birds or rodents. Prey is usually snatched in quick sallies from a perch or gleaned from foliage near the canopy.
Preferred Environment
Hunts along forest edges, clearings, and riverine corridors where canopy gaps offer good lines of sight. Frequently forages from high perches in tall trees, scanning for prey movement within the mid- to upper canopy.
