Rare Moment: Javan Hawk-eagle Visits P-WEC Educational Forest

A Javan hawk-eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi) was observed perched in a tree in the P-WEC Educational Forest (www.p-wec.org) on July 26, 2025. The Javan hawk-eagle was observed during the day by P-WEC Educational Forest staff member Vivit Rafikhoh.

The Javan hawk-eagle is not the only eagle to have visited the P-WEC Educational Forest. Previously, black eagles (Ictinaetus malayensis) and long-billed serpent eagles (Spilornis cheela) have also visited the P-WEC Educational Forest at the foot of the Kawi Mountains. Black eagles visiting the P-WEC Educational Forest have even been observed swooping down to snatch squirrels.

The Javan hawk-eagle is endemic to Java and was designated the national bird in 1992. This bird favors tropical rainforest ecosystems from the lowlands to the mountains up to elevations of 2,500 meters above sea level.

"The presence of Javan hawk-eagles perched in the P-WEC educational forest is encouraging. It shows that Javan hawk-eagles still exist around the P-WEC forest. Secondly, it demonstrates that the P-WEC forest plays a vital role in bird conservation," said Rosek Nursahid, an ecologist at PROFAUNA.

The P-WEC team's records indicate that the P-WEC Educational Forest is home to more than 50 bird species. This bird diversity is inextricably linked to the diverse trees within the P-WEC Educational Forest. Over 130 tree species have been recorded within the P-WEC Educational Forest.

The Javan hawk-eagle's survival is highly dependent on the presence of primary forest. Although Javan hawk-eagles have also been found in secondary forests as hunting grounds and nesting grounds, these secondary forests are located adjacent to primary forests.

Javan hawk-eagles prey on a variety of birds, including jungle fowl, reptiles, squirrels, civets, baby monkeys, and even flying foxes. In search of prey, Javan hawk-eagles swiftly ambush their prey, whether in tree branches or on the ground.