The Crested Hawk Eagle is a prolific predator of the Indian wilderness. I have always been enthralled by the ferocity of this omnipresent raptor and have been fortunate enough to spot it with many kills. This time round we were in Kabini, when we spotted this Crested Hawk Eagle moments after it had caught a tiny Palm Squirrel.
I took a few pictures while the Eagle caught its breath after making the kill. The feature image (first picture) was taken when it looked in our direction. After a few minutes, it took a final glance at its catch to ascertain whether it was dead or not, before flying away to feast on it.
While we were exiting the national park, we spotted another Crested Hawk Eagle patiently scanning the forest floor for its prey. It was perched on a tree close to the road giving me the opportunity to showcase the ferocious talons of this magnificent raptor. In case you would like to see the handiwork of these talons, do check out these posts.
(1) Crested Hawk Eagle with a Parakeet kill