Premium
First nest description, breeding behaviour and distribution of the Madagascar Serpent‐Eagle Eutriorchis astur
Author(s) -
THORSTROM RUSSELL,
ROLAND LILYARISON RENÉ DE
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
ibis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1474-919X
pISSN - 0019-1019
DOI - 10.1111/j.1474-919x.2000.tb04861.x
Subject(s) - nest (protein structural motif) , eagle , predation , biology , zoology , ecology , accipitridae , geography , biochemistry
The critically endangered, endemic Madagascar Serpent‐Eagle Eutriochis astur was searched for and studied from 1993‐98 on Masoala Peninsula, northeastern Madagascar. Fifteen individual serpent‐eagles were detected at nine different localities throughout the Masoala Peninsula. The first nest of the Madagascar Serpent‐Eagle was discovered on 7 November 1997. The nest was in an epiphytic fern Asplenium nidus supported by vines and branches, 20.1 m above the ground in a Potameia capuroni of 36.2 cm diameter at breast height. The epiphytic fern was lined with leaves in the centre and twigs were positioned to form a nest rim. The nest measured 76 times 57 cm and contained one white egg. The female and male incubated for 77% and 21% of 118 hours of nest observations, respectively. The egg hatched on 21 November 1997, and the young fledged 62 days later on 22 January. Chameleons Furcifer and Calumma spp., and leaf‐tailed geckos Uroplatus sp., made up the most numerous prey types taken, representing 83% of the 133 identified prey. Currently, the Masoala Peninsula forest contains the greatest number of sightings and known density of serpent‐eagles in Madagascar.