Wildlife
African fish eagles are familar birds of prey on the waterways of sub-Saharan Africa, noted for their distinctive and haunting call. These eagles perch on branches overlooking the water, swooping down to catch fish which are then carried back to the perch or dragged to shore if too big to carry. African fish eagles also eat birds, monkeys and even crocodile hatchlings. These efficient predators can get away with spending as little as 10 minutes a day actively hunting.
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King of the fishers
Fish eagles demonstrate their powerful elegance.
Fish eagles demonstrate their powerful elegance.
Proud fishermen
Fish eagles return to the Zambezi to breed and guard their patch.
Fish eagles return to the Zambezi to breed and guard their patch.
Communal living
Safety in numbers for carmine bee eater colonies.
Carmine bee eaters breed at the hottest time of the year, when the river is at its lowest and the banks are exposed. The steepest banks are the safest for nesting as they are less susceptible to attack from predators, so males fight to get the best locations. Living in these large communities helps limit the numbers of birds and eggs taken by predators each year.
Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
The African fish eagle can be found in a number of locations including: Africa. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the African fish eagle distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Least Concern
Year assessed: 2009
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) or – to distinguish it from the true fish eagles (Ichthyophaga), the African Sea Eagle – is a large species of eagle that is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water occur that have an abundant food supply. It is the national bird of Zimbabwe and Zambia and South Sudan. As a result of its large range, it is known in many languages. Examples of names include: Visarend in Afrikaans; Aigle Pêcheur in French;Hungwe in Shona, and Inkwazi in isiZulu.
This species may resemble the Bald Eagle in appearance; though related, each species occurs on different continents, with the Bald Eagle being resident in North America.
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Coastal
Desert
Flooded grassland
Lakes and ponds
Mangroves
Mediterranean forest
Rivers and streams
Swamp
Tropical grassland
Rainforest
Wetlands
Carnivorous
Adapted to flying
Monogamous
Egg layer
Predator