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African fish eagle

February 15, 2024

The African fish eagle (Icthyophaga vocifer) or the African sea eagle is a large species of eagle found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply occur. It is the national bird of Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. As a result of its large range, it is known in many languages.[3] Examples of names include: Vis Arend in Afrikaans, nkwazi in Chewa, aigle pêcheur in French,[4] hungwe in Shona, inkwazi in isiZulu, and ntšhu in Northern Sotho. This species may resemble the bald eagle in appearance; though related, the two species occur on different continents, with the bald eagle being resident in North America.

African eagle
Eagle at Chobe National Park, Botswana
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Icthyophaga
Species:
I. vocifer
Binomial name
Icthyophaga vocifer
(Daudin, 1800)

Taxonomy edit

The African fish eagle is a species placed in the genus Icthyophaga (fish eagles). Its closest relative appears to be the critically endangered Madagascar fish eagle (I. vociferoides). Like all sea eagle species pairs, this one consists of a white-headed species (the African fish eagle) and a tan-headed one (Madagascar fish eagle). These are an ancient lineage of sea eagles; like other sea eagles, they have dark talons, beaks, and eyes[5] Both species have at least partially white tails even as juveniles. The vocifer is derived from its original genus name, so named by the French naturalist François Levaillant, who called it 'the vociferous one'.[6]

Description edit

 
African fish eagle in Lake Zway, Ethiopia

The African fish eagle is a large bird. The female, at 3.2–3.6 kg (7.1–7.9 lb) is larger than the male, at 2.0–2.5 kg (4.4–5.5 lb). This is typical sexual dimorphism in birds of prey. Males usually have wingspans around 2.0 m (6.6 ft), while females have wingspans of 2.4 m (7.9 ft). The body length is 63–75 cm (25–29.5 in). The adult is very distinctive in appearance with a mostly brown body with a white head like the bald eagle and large, powerful, black wings. The head, breast, and tail of African fish eagles are snow white, except for the featherless face, which is yellow. The eyes are dark brown in colour. The hook-shaped beak, ideal for a carnivorous lifestyle, is yellow with a black tip. The plumage of the juvenile is brown, and the eyes are paler than the adult's. The feet have rough soles and are equipped with powerful talons to enable the eagle to grasp slippery aquatic prey. While this species mainly subsists on fish, it is opportunistic and may take a wider variety of prey, such as waterbirds. Its distinctive cry is, for many, evocative of the spirit or essence of Africa.[7][8][9] The call, shriller when uttered by males, is a weee-ah, hyo-hyo or a heee-ah, heeah-heeah.[8]

Distribution and habitat edit

This species is still quite common near freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and rivers, although it can sometimes be found near the coast at the mouths of rivers or lagoons. African fish eagles are indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa, ranging over most of continental Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Several examples of places where they may be resident, include the Orange River in South Africa and Namibia, the Okavango Delta in Botswana, and Lake Malawi bordering Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique. The African fish eagle is thought to occur in substantial numbers around the locations of Lake Victoria and other large lakes in Central Africa, particularly the Rift Valley lakes.[10] This is a generalist species, requiring only open water with sufficient prey and a good perch, as evidenced by the number of habitat types in which this species may be found, including grasslands, swamps, marshes, tropical rainforests, fynbos, and even desert-bordering coastlines,[11] such as that of Namibia. The African fish eagle is absent from arid areas with little surface water.

Reproduction edit

 
An adult on the nest in Lake Baringo, Kenya
 
Egg

African fish eagles breed during the dry season, when water levels are low. They are believed to mate for life.[12][13] Pairs often maintain two or more nests, which they frequently reuse. Because nests are reused and built upon over the years, they can grow quite large, some reaching 2.0 m (6.5 ft) across and 1.2 m (3.9 ft) deep. The nests are placed in a large tree and are built mostly of sticks and other pieces of wood.

The female lays one to three eggs, which are primarily white with a few reddish speckles. Incubation is mostly done by the female, but the male incubates when the female leaves to hunt. Incubation lasts for 42 to 45 days before the chicks hatch. Siblicide does not normally occur in this taxon, and the parents often successfully rear two or three chicks.[14] Chicks fledge around 70 to 75 days old. Post-fledgling dependence lasts up to three months, whereafter the juveniles become nomadic and may congregate in groups away from territorial adults.[14] Those that survive their first year have a life expectancy of some 12 to 24 years.[12]

Diet edit

 
African fish eagle carrying off a catfish in Lake Baringo, Kenya
 
A juvenile catches a fish
 
An African fish eagle feeding on its prey, likely a mudfish Labeo sp., in Kruger National Park, South Africa

The African fish eagle feeds mainly on fish, which it swoops down upon from a perch in a tree, snatching the prey from the water with its large, clawed talons. The eagle then flies back to its perch to eat its catch. Like other sea eagles, the African fish eagle has structures on its toes called spiricules that allow it to grasp fish and other slippery prey. The osprey, a winter visitor to Africa, also has this adaptation. African fish eagles usually catch fish around 200 to 1,000 g (0.44 to 2.20 lb), but fish up to 4,200 g (9.3 lb) can be taken. If it catches a fish too heavy to allow the eagle to sustain flight, it will drop into the water and paddle to the nearest shore with its wings.[15] Mullets and catfish (Clarias) are common prey, though various fish such as cichlids, tilapias (Oreochromis), lungfish (Protopterus), and characins can be also taken.[16][17][18] Even African Tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus) can be preyed upon by fish eagles, especially while predating barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) in flight.[19]

It also feeds on birds, especially waterbirds such as ducks, cormorants, grebes, darters, hatchlings of herons and egrets,[18] and greater and lesser flamingos. Other prey include small turtles and terrapins, baby crocodiles, Nile monitors, skinks, frogs, insects (especially termites),[20] and carrion. Occasionally, it may even take mammalian prey, such as hyrax, monkeys, rats, hares, and dik diks.[21][17][22] It has also been observed feeding on domestic fowl (chickens). The African fish eagle is known to steal the catch of other bird species, a practice known as kleptoparasitism. Targeted species are usually large wading birds such as Goliath herons, hammerkops, and shoebills, as well as kingfishers, pelicans, ospreys, and other fish eagles, which usually hunt large fish and take a long time to handle them.[21][23][18]

Relationship with humans edit

Conservation edit

This species is listed as least concern by the IUCN.[1] The estimated population size is about 300,000 individuals with a distribution area of 18,300,000 km2.[24]

Heraldry edit

In the form of the Zimbabwe Bird, it is the national bird of Zimbabwe and appears on the Zimbabwean flag. The bird also figures in the coats of arms of Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and South Sudan, and on the Zambian flag.

Mummies edit

Mummified examples of the African fish eagle have been found at the Necropolis at Elkab.[25]

Gallery edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b BirdLife International (2020). "Haliaeetus vocifer". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22695115A174556979. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22695115A174556979.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ^ "African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) - Birds.com: Online Birds Guide with Facts, Articles, Videos, and Photos". Birds.com. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  4. ^ . ARKive. Archived from the original on 2012-12-27. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  5. ^ Wink, M.; Heidrich, P.; Fentzloff, C. (1996). "A mtDNA phylogeny of sea eagles (genus Haliaeetus) based on nucleotide sequences of the cytochrome b gene" (PDF). Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 24 (7–8): 783–791. Bibcode:1996BioSE..24..783W. doi:10.1016/S0305-1978(96)00049-X.
  6. ^ Fourie, Pieter J (2010). Media Studies: Policy, Management and Media Representation. Juta and Company Ltd. p. 370. ISBN 978-0-7021-7675-3.
  7. ^ "African fish eagle - Wilkinson's World". wilkinsonsworld.com. 14 February 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  8. ^ a b . The Booking Company. Archived from the original on 2012-03-25. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  9. ^ "Art Of The Wild by Roger Brown.: Cry of the African Fish Eagle". Artofthewildrogerbrown.blogspot.com. 2011-05-10. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  10. ^ "African Fish Eagle {Haliaeetus vocifer}". Sa-venues.com. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  11. ^ "BBC Nature - African fish eagle videos, news and facts". Bbc.co.uk. 1970-01-01. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  12. ^ a b Wildscreen. "African Fish Eagle". eol.org. Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  13. ^ Orban, David. "Haliaeetus vocifer African fish eagle". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  14. ^ a b Botha, André; et al. (2012). (PDF). Birds of Prey Programme, Endangered Wildlife Trust. ISBN 978-0-620-11147-8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  15. ^ Kemp, A. C. and J. S. Marks (2020). African Fish-Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.affeag1.01
  16. ^ Whitfield, A. K. & Blaber, S. J. M. 1978. Feeding ecology of piscivorous birds at Lake St Lucia, Part 1: Diving birds. Ostrich 49:185-198.
  17. ^ a b STEWART, KATHLYN, et al. "Prey diversity and selectivity of the African fish eagle: data from a roost in northern Kenya." African Journal of Ecology 35.2 (1997): 133-145.
  18. ^ a b c "Haliaeetus vocifer (African fish eagle)". Animal Diversity Web.
  19. ^ O'Brien, G. C., et al. "First observation of African tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus predating on barn swallows Hirundo rustica in flight." Journal of fish biology 84.1 (2014): 263-266.
  20. ^ "African Fish Eagle | the Peregrine Fund".
  21. ^ a b . Encounter.co.za. Archived from the original on 2013-01-17. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  22. ^ Sumba, Seraphine JA. The biology of the African fish eagle with special reference to breeding in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. Diss. 1983.
  23. ^ John, Jasson, and Woo Lee. "Kleptoparasitism of Shoebills Balaeniceps rex by African Fish Eagles Haliaeetus vocifer in Western Tanzania." Tanzania Journal of Science 45.2 (2019): 131-143.
  24. ^ "African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) - BirdLife species factsheet". Birdlife.org. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  25. ^ Gautier, Achilles (2005). "Animal Mummies and Remains from the Necropolis of Elkab (Upper Egypt)". archaeofauna. 14: 139–170. Retrieved 25 December 2023.

External links edit

 
Wikispecies has information related to Haliaeetus vocifer.
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Haliaeetus vocifer.
  • African fish eagle - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds

February 15, 2024
african, fish, eagle, icthyophaga, vocifer, african, eagle, large, species, eagle, found, throughout, saharan, africa, wherever, large, bodies, open, water, with, abundant, food, supply, occur, national, bird, malawi, namibia, zambia, zimbabwe, result, large, . The African fish eagle Icthyophaga vocifer or the African sea eagle is a large species of eagle found throughout sub Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply occur It is the national bird of Malawi Namibia Zambia and Zimbabwe As a result of its large range it is known in many languages 3 Examples of names include Vis Arend in Afrikaans nkwazi in Chewa aigle pecheur in French 4 hungwe in Shona inkwazi in isiZulu and ntshu in Northern Sotho This species may resemble the bald eagle in appearance though related the two species occur on different continents with the bald eagle being resident in North America African eagleEagle at Chobe National Park BotswanaConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 CITES Appendix II CITES 2 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder AccipitriformesFamily AccipitridaeGenus IcthyophagaSpecies I vociferBinomial nameIcthyophaga vocifer Daudin 1800 Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Distribution and habitat 4 Reproduction 5 Diet 6 Relationship with humans 6 1 Conservation 6 2 Heraldry 7 Mummies 8 Gallery 9 References 10 External linksTaxonomy editThe African fish eagle is a species placed in the genus Icthyophaga fish eagles Its closest relative appears to be the critically endangered Madagascar fish eagle I vociferoides Like all sea eagle species pairs this one consists of a white headed species the African fish eagle and a tan headed one Madagascar fish eagle These are an ancient lineage of sea eagles like other sea eagles they have dark talons beaks and eyes 5 Both species have at least partially white tails even as juveniles The vocifer is derived from its original genus name so named by the French naturalist Francois Levaillant who called it the vociferous one 6 Description edit nbsp African fish eagle in Lake Zway EthiopiaThe African fish eagle is a large bird The female at 3 2 3 6 kg 7 1 7 9 lb is larger than the male at 2 0 2 5 kg 4 4 5 5 lb This is typical sexual dimorphism in birds of prey Males usually have wingspans around 2 0 m 6 6 ft while females have wingspans of 2 4 m 7 9 ft The body length is 63 75 cm 25 29 5 in The adult is very distinctive in appearance with a mostly brown body with a white head like the bald eagle and large powerful black wings The head breast and tail of African fish eagles are snow white except for the featherless face which is yellow The eyes are dark brown in colour The hook shaped beak ideal for a carnivorous lifestyle is yellow with a black tip The plumage of the juvenile is brown and the eyes are paler than the adult s The feet have rough soles and are equipped with powerful talons to enable the eagle to grasp slippery aquatic prey While this species mainly subsists on fish it is opportunistic and may take a wider variety of prey such as waterbirds Its distinctive cry is for many evocative of the spirit or essence of Africa 7 8 9 The call shriller when uttered by males is a weee ah hyo hyo or a heee ah heeah heeah 8 Distribution and habitat editThis species is still quite common near freshwater lakes reservoirs and rivers although it can sometimes be found near the coast at the mouths of rivers or lagoons African fish eagles are indigenous to sub Saharan Africa ranging over most of continental Africa south of the Sahara Desert Several examples of places where they may be resident include the Orange River in South Africa and Namibia the Okavango Delta in Botswana and Lake Malawi bordering Malawi Tanzania and Mozambique The African fish eagle is thought to occur in substantial numbers around the locations of Lake Victoria and other large lakes in Central Africa particularly the Rift Valley lakes 10 This is a generalist species requiring only open water with sufficient prey and a good perch as evidenced by the number of habitat types in which this species may be found including grasslands swamps marshes tropical rainforests fynbos and even desert bordering coastlines 11 such as that of Namibia The African fish eagle is absent from arid areas with little surface water Reproduction edit nbsp An adult on the nest in Lake Baringo Kenya nbsp Egg African fish eagles breed during the dry season when water levels are low They are believed to mate for life 12 13 Pairs often maintain two or more nests which they frequently reuse Because nests are reused and built upon over the years they can grow quite large some reaching 2 0 m 6 5 ft across and 1 2 m 3 9 ft deep The nests are placed in a large tree and are built mostly of sticks and other pieces of wood The female lays one to three eggs which are primarily white with a few reddish speckles Incubation is mostly done by the female but the male incubates when the female leaves to hunt Incubation lasts for 42 to 45 days before the chicks hatch Siblicide does not normally occur in this taxon and the parents often successfully rear two or three chicks 14 Chicks fledge around 70 to 75 days old Post fledgling dependence lasts up to three months whereafter the juveniles become nomadic and may congregate in groups away from territorial adults 14 Those that survive their first year have a life expectancy of some 12 to 24 years 12 Diet edit nbsp African fish eagle carrying off a catfish in Lake Baringo Kenya nbsp A juvenile catches a fish nbsp An African fish eagle feeding on its prey likely a mudfish Labeo sp in Kruger National Park South AfricaThe African fish eagle feeds mainly on fish which it swoops down upon from a perch in a tree snatching the prey from the water with its large clawed talons The eagle then flies back to its perch to eat its catch Like other sea eagles the African fish eagle has structures on its toes called spiricules that allow it to grasp fish and other slippery prey The osprey a winter visitor to Africa also has this adaptation African fish eagles usually catch fish around 200 to 1 000 g 0 44 to 2 20 lb but fish up to 4 200 g 9 3 lb can be taken If it catches a fish too heavy to allow the eagle to sustain flight it will drop into the water and paddle to the nearest shore with its wings 15 Mullets and catfish Clarias are common prey though various fish such as cichlids tilapias Oreochromis lungfish Protopterus and characins can be also taken 16 17 18 Even African Tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus can be preyed upon by fish eagles especially while predating barn swallows Hirundo rustica in flight 19 It also feeds on birds especially waterbirds such as ducks cormorants grebes darters hatchlings of herons and egrets 18 and greater and lesser flamingos Other prey include small turtles and terrapins baby crocodiles Nile monitors skinks frogs insects especially termites 20 and carrion Occasionally it may even take mammalian prey such as hyrax monkeys rats hares and dik diks 21 17 22 It has also been observed feeding on domestic fowl chickens The African fish eagle is known to steal the catch of other bird species a practice known as kleptoparasitism Targeted species are usually large wading birds such as Goliath herons hammerkops and shoebills as well as kingfishers pelicans ospreys and other fish eagles which usually hunt large fish and take a long time to handle them 21 23 18 Relationship with humans editConservation edit This species is listed as least concern by the IUCN 1 The estimated population size is about 300 000 individuals with a distribution area of 18 300 000 km2 24 Heraldry edit In the form of the Zimbabwe Bird it is the national bird of Zimbabwe and appears on the Zimbabwean flag The bird also figures in the coats of arms of Malawi Namibia Zambia and South Sudan and on the Zambian flag Mummies editMummified examples of the African fish eagle have been found at the Necropolis at Elkab 25 Gallery edit nbsp Kazinga Channel Uganda nbsp Lake Naivasha Kenya nbsp Juvenile in flight Ethiopia nbsp Juveniles in nest Ethiopia nbsp Lake Mburo UgandaReferences edit a b BirdLife International 2020 Haliaeetus vocifer IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020 e T22695115A174556979 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2020 3 RLTS T22695115A174556979 en Retrieved 12 November 2021 Appendices CITES cites org Retrieved 2022 01 14 African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer Birds com Online Birds Guide with Facts Articles Videos and Photos Birds com Retrieved 2012 12 12 African Fish Eagle videos photos and facts Haliaeetus vocifer ARKive Archived from the original on 2012 12 27 Retrieved 2012 12 12 Wink M Heidrich P Fentzloff C 1996 A mtDNA phylogeny of sea eagles genus Haliaeetus based on nucleotide sequences of the cytochrome b gene PDF Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 24 7 8 783 791 Bibcode 1996BioSE 24 783W doi 10 1016 S0305 1978 96 00049 X Fourie Pieter J 2010 Media Studies Policy Management and Media Representation Juta and Company Ltd p 370 ISBN 978 0 7021 7675 3 African fish eagle Wilkinson s World wilkinsonsworld com 14 February 2010 Retrieved 18 April 2018 a b Fish Eagle The Booking Company Archived from the original on 2012 03 25 Retrieved 2012 12 12 Art Of The Wild by Roger Brown Cry of the African Fish Eagle Artofthewildrogerbrown blogspot com 2011 05 10 Retrieved 2012 12 12 African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer Sa venues com Retrieved 2012 12 12 BBC Nature African fish eagle videos news and facts Bbc co uk 1970 01 01 Retrieved 2012 12 12 a b Wildscreen African Fish Eagle eol org Encyclopedia of Life Retrieved 11 April 2016 Orban David Haliaeetus vocifer African fish eagle Animal Diversity Web University of Michigan Retrieved 11 April 2016 a b Botha Andre et al 2012 Eagles and Farmers PDF Birds of Prey Programme Endangered Wildlife Trust ISBN 978 0 620 11147 8 Archived from the original PDF on 18 February 2017 Retrieved 11 April 2016 Kemp A C and J S Marks 2020 African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer version 1 0 In Birds of the World J del Hoyo A Elliott J Sargatal D A Christie and E de Juana Editors Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca NY USA https doi org 10 2173 bow affeag1 01 Whitfield A K amp Blaber S J M 1978 Feeding ecology of piscivorous birds at Lake St Lucia Part 1 Diving birds Ostrich 49 185 198 a b STEWART KATHLYN et al Prey diversity and selectivity of the African fish eagle data from a roost in northern Kenya African Journal of Ecology 35 2 1997 133 145 a b c Haliaeetus vocifer African fish eagle Animal Diversity Web O Brien G C et al First observation of African tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus predating on barn swallows Hirundo rustica in flight Journal of fish biology 84 1 2014 263 266 African Fish Eagle the Peregrine Fund a b The African fish eagle Encounter co za Archived from the original on 2013 01 17 Retrieved 2012 12 12 Sumba Seraphine JA The biology of the African fish eagle with special reference to breeding in Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda Diss 1983 John Jasson and Woo Lee Kleptoparasitism of Shoebills Balaeniceps rex by African Fish Eagles Haliaeetus vocifer in Western Tanzania Tanzania Journal of Science 45 2 2019 131 143 African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer BirdLife species factsheet Birdlife org Retrieved 2012 12 12 Gautier Achilles 2005 Animal Mummies and Remains from the Necropolis of Elkab Upper Egypt archaeofauna 14 139 170 Retrieved 25 December 2023 External links edit nbsp Wikispecies has information related to Haliaeetus vocifer nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Haliaeetus vocifer African fish eagle Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title African fish eagle amp oldid 1191747882, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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