African Fish Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
Habitat
Aquatic
Diet
VertFishScav
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
3.4 kg
About This Species
Perches conspicuously in tall trees along lakes, rivers, and reservoirs across sub-Saharan Africa, watching the water before diving to snatch fish from the surface with its talons. Its far-carrying, ringing call, often given with the head thrown back, is one of the most recognisable sounds of African wetlands and a good way to locate a pair. Activity is highest in the cooler parts of the day, and productive fishing waters with tall perching trees nearby are the most reliable places to watch one hunt.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Viewing from a boat or shoreline at a distance of at least the width of the water body avoids startling a bird off its perch or interrupting a hunting attempt.
- Protection status and disturbance regulations vary across its many range countries, so local park or reserve rules should be checked before close approach is attempted.
- Avoid approaching nest trees, which are used repeatedly over years and are sensitive to disturbance during the breeding season.
LCAvesAccipitriformesAccipitridae
Seasonal Activity
227,758 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
Traits
- Diet
- VertFishScav
- Foraging
- Aquatic
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 3.4 kg
Photo
(c) copper, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by copper
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.