African Fish Eagle
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Haliaeetus
Binomial name: Haliaeetus vocifer
The African Fish Eagle is a large species of eagle that is
found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. It can be seen wherever large bodies of open water occur that have an abundant food supply. The African Fish Eagle is a large bird, and the female, at 3.2-3.6 kg is larger than the male, at 2-2.5 kg. This is typical of sexual dimorphism in birds of prey. Males usually have a wingspan of about 2 m (6 feet), while females have wingspans of 2.4 m (8 feet). The body length is 63–75 cm. The adult is very distinctive in appearance with a mostly brown body
and large, powerful, black wings. The head, breast and
tail of African Fish Eagles are white, with the exception
of the featherless face, which is yellow. The eyes are
dark brown in colour. The hook-shaped beak is ideal
for a carnivorous lifestyle and while this species
mainly subsists on fish, it is opportunistic and may
take a wider variety of prey such as water birds. Its
distinctive cry is, for many, evocative of the spirit or
essence of Africa.
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