serpent eagle's thighs are barred sepia-brown and white, while the undertail is white. The underwing is largely white with some black spots and brown coloration. The tail is light brown, with five to six broad black bars. The claws are short and sharp, while the legs are yellow. Sexes are similar, though the female averages about three percent larger than the male. Immatures have a white crown and mantle, while the upper back has rounded brown or black spots that vanish as the bird ages. The wings and tail are greyish-brown and paler than those of the adults and are more darkly barred. D. s. batesi is similar to the nominate subspecies, but is browner and paler on the back while the spots on D. s. spectabilis'''s chest only appear on this subspecies' flanks. The immature does possess a spotted chest, with the spots vanishing as the bird ages. This is a very vocal raptor and is one of the most frequently heard birds of prey in its range. It makes a cat-like meowing sound as well as a low, mournful, nasal "cow-cow-cow" at intervals over extended periods of time. When heard over a large distance, some ornithologists have compared its call to that of a turaco. Distribution and habitat The Congo serpent eagle lives in southern Sierra Leone and Guinea, Liberia, and southern Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. It is also found in southern Nigeria and the Central African Republic south through northern and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in the east and through Gabon into the northern Republic of the Congo in the west with an isolated population in northern Angola. D. s. spectabilis is found in upper Guinean forests from Liberia to northern Cameroon, while D. s. batesi'' is found in lower Guinean forests from southern Cameroon through Gabon and western Uganda. Its range covers . The species lives in dense primary forest below in elevation in the dark understory. As it is adapted for dense forest, it is not well-adapted for secondary forests and plantations. The Congo serpent eagle does not migrate, though it is unknown if it is locally nomadic. Ecology and behavior Little is known about this species' behavior. The Congo serpent eagle lives in the understory of its habitat and occasionally perches on lower boughs in tall trees. It lives either alone or in pairs. This species is known to hunt snakes, lizards,