Circaetinae

Snake-eagles
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Accipitriformes
Family:	Accipitridae
Subfamily:	Circaetinae

Circaetinae is a bird of prey subfamily which consists of a group of medium to large broad-winged species. These are mainly birds which specialise in feeding on snakes and other reptiles, which is the reason most are named as "snake-eagles" or "serpent-eagles". The exceptions are the bateleur, a more generalised hunter, and the Philippine eagle, which preys on mammals.

All but one of the subfamily are restricted to warmer parts of the Old World: Spilornis and Pithecophaga in south Asia, the others in Africa. The short-toed eagle Circeatus gallicus migrates between temperate Eurasia and Africa, as well as being resident in India.

They have hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs and powerful talons. They also have extremely keen eyesight to enable them to spot potential prey from a distance.

Species

• Genus Circaetus
  • Short-toed snake eagle, C. gallicus
  • Beaudouin's snake eagle, C. beaudouini
  • Black-chested snake eagle, C. pectoralis
  • Brown snake eagle, C. cinereus
  • Southern banded snake eagle, C. fasciolatus
  • Western banded snake eagle, C. cinerascens
• Genus Dryotriorchis
  • Congo serpent eagle, D. spectabilis
• Genus Spilornis
  • Crested serpent eagle, S. cheela
    • Bawean serpent eagle, S. (cheela) baweanus
  • Great Nicobar serpent eagle, S. klossi
  • Mountain serpent eagle,S. kinabaluensis
  • Sulawesi serpent eagle, S. rufipectus
  • Philippine serpent eagle, S. holospilus
  • Andaman serpent eagle, S. elgini
• Genus Eutriorchis ^{[note 1]}
  • Madagascan serpent eagle, E. astur
• Genus Terathopius
  • Bateleur, T. ecaudatus
• Genus Pithecophaga
  • Philippine eagle, P. jefferyi

Notes