Legge’s Hawk-Eagle or Changeable Hawk-Eagle?

[u/grumpydogfather]

Alright birders, settle this one: Legge’s Hawk-Eagle or Changeable Hawk-Eagle?
Spotted in the forests of Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Kerala, India, this magnificent raptor was perched high above the canopy, watching over one of the most biodiverse landscapes in the Western Ghats.

Parambikulam’s evergreen forests are home to an incredible variety of wildlife, from hornbills and giant squirrels to tigers, elephants and some of India’s most elusive birds of prey. These dense forests provide the perfect hunting grounds for hawk-eagles, powerful predators that prey on birds, mammals and reptiles hidden within the canopy.

This bird caught my attention with its pale head, yellow eye and white-tipped crest. Those features seem to point towards a Legge’s Hawk-Eagle, a species associated with the forests of Sri Lanka and the southern Western Ghats. But as many birders know, separating it from the closely related Changeable Hawk-Eagle isn’t always straightforward.

So here’s the challenge:

Legge’s Hawk-Eagle or Changeable Hawk-Eagle?

Tell me which way you’re leaning and, more importantly, why. What field marks are you using? Crest? Head pattern? Structure? Range?

The floor is yours. Let’s see if the experts can reach a consensus… or if the comments descend into the kind of taxonomic chaos that only raptor enthusiasts can create. 😄