Sharply eyeing the water from its overhead perch, the predatory African fish eagle will swoop to the surface to catch a fish that may weigh as much as the eagle itself.  Its distinctive black, brown, and white plumage and loud ringing call make the fish eagle on of Africa's most recognizable birds.  Experts think that the birds pair for life and maintain their close bond by calling to each other constantly in a variety of high and low notes.

Habitat: African fish eagles are always found near lakes, reservoirs , or rivers.  They also hunt along the coast, particularly in river mouths and lagoons where the water surface is fairly sheltered.  Where food is abundant and there are plenty of large trees suitable for nesting, fish eagles may be found every few hundred yards along the shoreline.

Breeding: At the start of breeding season, the males and females increasingly call to one another, and they sometimes link claws while flying in midair.  After displaying this mating behavior, the pair nests in a tall tree.. Most pairs have had one or two nest sites that they use regularly.  Older nests are very large - up to 6 feet across and 4 feet deep, and can be quickly prepared for use.  The eggs are usually laid when the seasonal rains have stopped.  The females does most of the incubating, but the male will sometimes incubate the eggs while she hunts for herself.  Because the eggs will hatch at intervals of 2 to 3 days, the eldest chick often kills the younger one.  By the end of 8 weeks, the young can feed them selves., and they begin to forage outside the nest 14 days later.  Still, they are unable to fend for themselves for another 2 months.  They will then be chased away from their parents nest.  When they reach breeding age, the birds will have to establish their own territories.

Food & Hunting: The Fish are the eagles main prey, and it hunts from a perch overlooking the water.  It may make short foraging flights, but it rarely travels more than 50 years from the shore. A fish eagle's feet have long claws, and the spiky undersides of its toes can hold wriggling prey securely.  The eagle needs about 3 pounds of fish a day. In addition to fish, it will also eat waterfowl, terrapins, and baby crocodiles.  Fish eagles also eat carrion, and will force other fish eating birds such as herons to give up their food..

Key Facts: Sizes, Weight, breeding, lifestyle, related Species
Wing Span: Males, 6 ft, females 8 ft.
Weight:  Males, 5 lbs, females 7 lbs

Breeding:
Sexual maturity: 4 to 5  years
Breeding Season: Usually in dry season when water levels are low.
Gestation: 42 to 45  days
Fledgling: 70  to 75 days
Eggs: 1 - 3, white, sometimes with a few red marks

Lifestyle:
Habit: Noisy; mates for life.
Diet: Mainly fish but also waterfowl and carrion.
Related Species: Related species include the bald eagle, the Madagascar sea eagle and the European white - tailed sea eagle

Distribution: The African fish eagle is found throughout southern Africa from the southern edge of the Sahara to the Cape.
Conservation: Still common in much of Africa, the birds have benefited from the construction of reservoirs. They are effected in other places by chemical pollution of rivers and lakes, which poisons the fish they feed on.

Did you know:
Where breeding territories are crowed, adult fish eagles may spend so much time defending their patch that they often have no time to breed.
One fish eagle nest is known to have ben used regularly for 21 years.
Once they have found a good hunting area, fish eagles often do not have to hunt for more than 15 minutes a day.
How the African Fish Eagle catches fish:
The Spying a fish from its perch, the fish eagle will swoop down to the water's surface in a smooth glide, grasp its victim, and rise up again without slowing its pace.  Occasionally, the fish eagle will hover over the water and them drop vertically on its victim as a falcon would.
If the eagles catch weight more than 4 lbs., it will be dragged along the water's surface and eaton on the shore.  Larger fish are too heavy to lift, so the eagle drags them ashore, padding across the water with its wings.