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Incredible facts about Africa’s greatest raptor
These beautiful raptors soar proudly across blue skies. Yodelling in high-pitched yelps they reflect a continent’s love for song. Their very image sums up the African wilderness, with rivers meandering across elephant and antelope dominate plains.
Here are 5 incredible facts about the African fish eagle, including the best places to see them in the wild.
1. There are seven species of fish eagle
The African fish eagle is just one of seven. The Madagascan fish eagle is the only other species native to Africa. Steller’s sea eagle is a rare bird found in north-eastern Asia while Sanford’s fish eagle is endemic to the Solomon Islands.
Three fish eagle species live on the Indian subcontinent, mostly around the Himalayan foothills. These are the grey-headed fish eagle, the lesser fish eagle, and the Pallas’s fish eagle.
2. The African fish eagle is the national bird of four countries
These four countries are where the bird is found in abundance: Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Sudan. Not only is it their national bird, the fish eagle features on the coat of arms of all these countries.
Do you know a Zambian flag from a Zimbabwe flag? They are confusing because an African fish eagle appears on both of them.
3. There are around 300,000 fish eagles in Africa
This vast population is spread across most of East and Southern Africa. It makes them one of the most numerous predatory birds in Africa. The IUCN classifies African fish eagles as animals of least concern.
4. Fish eagles are one of the oldest of all living birds
They belong to the Haliaeetus genus of sea eagles, one of the most ancient bird genera. These birds have been here since long before man. In fact, they’ve been here since before primates!
5. They are kleptoparasites
This means they actively steal food from other birds. Goliath herons and saddle-billed storks are their common victims, but fish eagles can scavenge like the best of them and will take from almost any other bird.
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