NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Sulawesi Serpent Eagle
Spilornis rufipectus Gould, 1858
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.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Sulawesi serpent eagle (Spilornis rufipectus) is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is endemic to Sulawesi in Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. It measures 46-54 cm long and has a wingspan of 105-120 cm.
Wikipedia contributors, Sulawesi serpent eagle; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T09:58:12.471363+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Spilornis rufipectus Gould, 1858
- Name authority
- Gould, 1858
- Common name
- Sulawesi 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 rufipectus Gould, 1858
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 |
| Mountain Serpent EagleSpilornis kinabaluensis W. L. Sclater, 1919 | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
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.
- Gould, & John. (1858). On Several New Species of Birds from Various Parts of the World. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, Vol. 25, No. 340. 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. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
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:4Z4FT. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.