Ictinaetus malayensis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The black eagle (Ictinaetus malaiensis) is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and it is the only member of the genus Ictinaetus. It soars over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South and Southeast Asia, as well as southeastern China, hunting mammals and birds, particularly at their nests. It is easily identified by its widely splayed and long primary "fingers", the characteristic silhouette, slow flight and yellow ceres and legs that contrast with the dark feathers.
The species name is spelt malayensis in many publications, but the original spelling used by Temminck in his description was malaiensis, according to a 2011 finding of some of the original covers of the part publications, leading to taxonomists applying the principle of priority and rejecting any later spelling emendations.
A molecular phylogenetic study of the Accipitridae published in 2024 found that the black eagle is sister to the three spotted eagles in the genus Clanga. Two subspecies are recognised: Wikipedia →
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taipei Zoo | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 2 | Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 3 | Bandung Zoo | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Eagle sighting in Minneriya National Park on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 132nd most-seen of the 155 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black Eagle in Minneriya National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January to November, the lowest months. That is one of Minneriya National Park's wettest months, with about 230 mm of rain against 20 mm in June.
Between 3 and 6 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Eagle sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
17th of 28
Of the 28 parks where we can rate Black Eagle sightings, Minneriya National Park ranks 17th at under 5%. The best odds are in Periyar National Park (India, about 20%), Sinharaja Forest Reserve (Sri Lanka, about 20%) and Horton Plains National Park (Sri Lanka, about 20%).
Same family: Accipitridae
The closest relatives of the Black Eagle that you can see in Minneriya National Park (family Accipitridae, Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) are Brahminy Kite (about 60%), Crested Serpent Eagle (about 30%) and White-Bellied Sea-Eagle (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Eagle is recorded against all the birds logged in Minneriya National Park (18 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
