African fish eagle

The African fish eagle is native to the mangroves, tropical forests, and tropical savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa. The African fish eagle is one of the species of eagles named for the chief item in their diet. This large bird of prey may be able to seize in its talons a fish weighing 4 to 8 pounds (1.8 to 3.6 kilograms), which is as heavy as the bird itself. The African fish eagle also eats terrapins (turtles), waterfowl, and baby crocodiles.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Falconiformes

Family: Accipitridae

Genus: Haliaeetus

Species: Vocifer

The African fish eagle swoops down and grips fish in its long, curved talons. It may also hover over the water and then suddenly and forcefully drop on unsuspecting fish. Fish may weigh as much as the eagle itself, between 4 or 8 pounds (1.8 to 3.6 kilograms). An African fish eagle needs close to 3 pounds (1 1/2 kilograms) of food each day. It may also catch waterfowl, terrapin (turtles), and baby crocodiles. Carrion, or dead animal flesh, is another part of its diet. The eagle is bold enough to hassle other fish-eating birds and to steal their food.

African fish eagles live near lakes, reservoirs, or rivers. They may also hunt along coastlines in estuaries and lagoons. Numerous large trees along the water's edge or within 50 yards (15 meters) of the water are important for nesting and perching sites.

Brown plumage covers the 3-foot (one-meter) long body and thighs of this large bird. Its wings are black, and its head, chest, and back between its shoulders are pure white. From the white face of the eagle extends a sharply-hooked, yellow beak. Excellent eyesight helps the eagle to see its prey in the water. An African fish eagle has a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet (2 to 2 1/2 meters). Female African fish eagles are larger than males.

Once an eagle reaches four or five years old it is able to mate. It is believed that a male and female mate for life. Breeding season usually occurs during the dry season when water levels are low. At this time the eagles become very territorial as large numbers of eagles crowd into one area. It is possible for a pair to spend so much time defending their nest and fishing site from other eagles that they have little if any time to mate. The pair may fly together with their talons locked as part of their mating ritual. After mating, the pair builds or finds a nest in a tall tree. They may have one or two nest sites. Some of these nests may have been used regularly for over twenty years and so have become very large, nearly 6 feet (3 meters) across and 4 feet (1 meter) deep. The female incubates one to three white eggs, which sometimes have red markings, while the male guards them and his mate. After the female incubates the eggs for about six weeks, the young begin hatching two to three days apart. The young which hatches first often kills its sibling which hatches afterward. The young eagle is able to feed itself after two months and begins foraging outside the nest two weeks later. It depends on its parents for protection until it is nearly five months old. At this age the parents chase the young away from the nest. At the age of four to five years the eagle is able to mate and must claim its own territory.

The eagle may live as long as twelve to forty years. One threat in some areas is pollution of the waterways, which poisons the fish the eagle eats, though the African fish eagle is not a threatened species.

Bibliography

“African Fish Eagle - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio.” Animalia.bio, 2024, animalia.bio/african-fish-eagle. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024.

The Cornell Lab of Orinithology. “African Fish-Eagle - Icthyophaga Vocifer.” Birds of the World, 24 Oct. 2023, birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/affeag1/cur/introduction. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024.

Orban, David. “ADW: Haliaeetus Vocifer: Information.” Animal Diversity Web, 2011, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Haliaeetus‗vocifer. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024.