NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Mountain Serpent Eagle
Spilornis kinabaluensis W. L. Sclater, 1919
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Photo of Mountain Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis kinabaluensis) uploaded from iNaturalist.
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Open encyclopedia reference
The mountain serpent eagle (Spilornis kinabaluensis), also known as the Kinabalu serpent eagle, is a bird of prey that is found in northern Borneo. It is found at altitudes of 1,000–4,100 metres (3,300–13,500 ft) in forest, especially where it becomes stunted. Where their range overlaps, the crested serpent eagle generally occurs at lower altitudes. The mountain serpent eagle is darker than the Bornean subspecies of the crested serpent eagle.
The mountain serpent eagle is threatened by habitat loss. However, they occur within the Kinabalu National Park and the Gunung Mulu National Park. Their high-altitude habitats are usually too remote for logging and agriculture, making some of its range secure.
Wikipedia contributors, Mountain serpent eagle; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T09:54:04.225647+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Spilornis kinabaluensis W. L. Sclater, 1919
- Name authority
- W. L. Sclater, 1919
- Common name
- Mountain Serpent Eagle
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Genus
- Spilornis
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderAccipitriformes
- familyAccipitridae Vigors, 1824
- genusSpilornis G. R. Gray, 1840
- speciesSpilornis kinabaluensis W. L. Sclater, 1919
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Spilornis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Crested Serpent EagleSpilornis cheela (Latham, 1790) | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Andaman Serpent EagleSpilornis elgini (Blyth, 1863) | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Philippine Serpent EagleSpilornis holospilus (Vigors, 1831) | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Great Nicobar Serpent EagleSpilornis klossi Richmond, 1902 | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sulawesi Serpent EagleSpilornis rufipectus Gould, 1858 | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Spilornis cheela kinabaluensis W. L. Sclater, 1919 W. L. Sclater, 1919 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=563062 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4Z4FQ. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.