SIZE: Larger than the Pariah Kite. FIELD CHARACTERS: A large black eagle the tips of whose wings when at rest reach the end of the tail. In overhead flight the black plumage, narrowly grey-barred tail-longer than in most eagles – and the bright chrome yellow feet are diagnostic. The dark underside of the wing contrasting with a pale patch on the primaries, the bright yellow cere and a white patch under the eye – visible at close range – confirm its identity. When sailing the broad wings are held above the line of the back in a wide V, and end in upturned ‘splayed fingers' as in a vulture. Sexes alike. Singly, on forested hills. Resident. Fairly common, but not abundant. Evergreen and moist deciduous biotope. Foothills, and upto the highest elevations. Forested ravines or shoals, interspersed with open grassy spurs and hillsides, are its favourite haunts. Distribution Outside Kerala is in Ceylon ; the Western Ghats country north to the Tapti River , including the Nilgiris, Palnis and associated hills. Also the Shevaroys. The Satpuras and other hills in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra, Bihar , Orissa, W. Bengal and E. Pakistan . The Himalayas from W. Pakistan to eastern Assam . Burma ; Thailand ; Malaysia to Celebes . Its food consists of frogs, lizards and large insects. Birds, even of the SIZE of junglefowl, are often killed and nests are habitually robbed of their contents, both eggs and young. Egg- normally a singleton, handsome, whitish to pinkish in ground colour densely and finely stippled with pale brick –red. Average SIZE 62.7x49.9 mm.