The Mountain Hawk-Eagle is one of Japan’s most powerful and impressive forest raptors. It has broad wings, a long tail, and strongly barred plumage, with a distinctive crest that gives the bird a fierce appearance. In Japan, it is closely associated with extensive mountain forests and is an important apex predator of woodland ecosystems.
Habitat: Mature mountain forests, steep wooded valleys, forested slopes and remote woodland areas.
Range in Japan: Widespread but localized in suitable mountainous forests from Hokkaido through Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, with particularly important populations in large, continuous forest landscapes. It should not be shown as uniformly distributed across all of Japan.
Diet: Mainly mammals and birds, including squirrels, hares, pheasants, pigeons and other woodland birds; it may also take reptiles.
Season: Resident year-round. Adults generally maintain large territories.
Size: Large Birds / Birds of Prey — approximately 70–80 cm long, with a wingspan around 140–165 cm.
Nesting: Usually builds a large stick nest high in a mature forest tree. Pairs often reuse and maintain traditional nesting territories over many years.
Behavior: Powerful but often difficult to see. It hunts from forest edges and openings, gliding between mountain slopes and maneuvering through forested valleys. Its loud, piercing calls can reveal its presence before the bird is seen.
Conservation: Vulnerable in Japan in many regional contexts. Major concerns include loss and fragmentation of mature forests, disturbance around nesting sites, declining prey availability and collisions with infrastructure. Protecting large connected forest habitats and nesting territories is particularly important.
The Mountain Hawk-Eagle has a large, broad-winged silhouette, long tail, prominent crest and strongly patterned underparts. Adults are generally dark brown above with contrasting white and brown barring below. Juveniles tend to be paler and more heavily streaked.
The Mountain Hawk-Eagle (クマタカ) is a magnificent forest raptor of Japan's mountain landscapes. Soaring above deep valleys or silently moving between forested slopes, it occupies vast territories within mature woodland. Powerful, elusive and highly territorial, the Mountain Hawk-Eagle represents the health and continuity of Japan's remaining mountain forests.
Mountain Hawk-Eagle クマタカ
The Mountain Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus nipalensis) is a large and powerful bird of prey found mainly in forested mountains. It has broad wings, a long tail, and a distinctive crest, while its heavily patterned underparts give it a striking appearance. In Japan, it is one of the most impressive raptors associated with deep mountain forests.
It hunts a variety of prey, including birds, mammals, and reptiles, often using trees, cliffs, and forest edges as observation points. The Mountain Hawk-Eagle has a large territory and generally avoids heavily developed areas, making it a challenging bird to encounter in the wild. In Japan, it is mainly distributed in mountainous regions of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.
Category
Accipitridae, Raptors, Large Forest Eagles
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Deep forests, mountains, valleys, wooded slopes
Region
Japan, China, the Himalayas, and Southeast Asia
Behavior
Soaring, forest flight, hunting, and ambush from elevated perches
Population
Widespread but uncommon and locally rare in Japan
クマタカ Mountain Hawk-Eagle
クマタカ（Nisaetus nipalensis）は、日本の森林に生息する大型の猛禽類で、 力強い体つきと長い尾、幅広い翼を持つ美しいワシです。特に頭部の冠羽と、 胸から腹にかけての細かな模様が特徴的で、深い山地の森林を見下ろすように 飛翔する姿は、日本を代表する山の猛禽のひとつです。
主に森林や山地で生活し、鳥類、哺乳類、爬虫類などさまざまな動物を捕食します。 高い木や岩場を利用して周囲を見張り、森林の上空をゆっくり旋回しながら 獲物を探します。広い行動圏を持ち、人の少ない深い森を好むため、観察する機会は 多くありません。日本では本州、四国、九州などの山地を中心に分布しています。
Category
タカ科、猛禽類、森林性の大型鳥類
IUCN Status
低危険種（Least Concern）
Habitat
深い森林、山地、渓谷、森林に囲まれた斜面
Region
日本、中国、ヒマラヤ地域、東南アジア
Behavior
滑翔、森林上空の飛翔、狩猟、樹上からの待ち伏せ
Population
広い地域に分布するが、日本では個体数が少なく希少
