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African river
African fish eagle
Icthyophaga vocifer
A striking eagle with a white head and chest, chestnut body and black wings, never far from water.
- Size
- Wingspan about 2 metres
- Look for it
- All year round
- Where
- Rivers, lakes and coasts south of the Sahara
My spotter's list
Soars round you in wide circles. Move your pointer and see.
Good to know
Six things about the fish eagle
CallThe voice of Africa
Its ringing, yelping call, given with the head thrown back, is one of the best-known sounds of the continent.
FishingSnatching, not diving
It swoops low and grabs a fish from just under the surface with its feet, hardly getting wet.
FeetFeet like sandpaper
The soles of its feet are covered in tiny spikes for gripping slippery fish.
StealingA pirate too
A fish eagle will often chase another bird until it drops its catch, then take the meal for itself.
EmblemA national bird
The African fish eagle is the national bird of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Sudan.
PairsDuets
Pairs stay together for years and call to each other in a duet, even when sitting side by side.
The real thing
Photos of the fish eagle
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
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Out and aboutHow to spot one
Look in the tallest tree beside the water for a bird with a bright white head. You will usually hear its ringing call first.
Lend a handHow to help
Fish eagles need clean water with healthy fish stocks, and big riverside trees to nest in.
Following youLadybird
Who should follow you?
These live somewhere else: choosing one takes you to their page.
African savanna
African river
These live somewhere else: choosing one takes you to their page.
African rainforest
These live somewhere else: choosing one takes you to their page.
African desert
Animals from other parts of the world live on their own pages: change area.
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