African Fish-Eagle

African Fish-Eagle, Icthyophaga vocifer is a species of eagle in the Buteoninae subfamily and the Milvini tribe. It is closely related to the Madagascan Fish-Eagle (I. vociferoides), White-bellied Sea-Eagle (I. leucogaster) and Sanford's Sea-Eagle (I. sanfordi).

Behaviour
Perches for 85–95% of day in productive tropical habitat. Most often seen singly or in pairs on high branches along water. Usually solitary, but more than 100 may gather at concentrations of stranded fish.

Diet
It is a specialised fish eater; more often seen watching from a perch than hunting in flight, it swoops to snatch fish just under the surface, using a backward swing of its feet. Hunts mainly from a perch by swooping down to pluck prey from near the water surface, rowing larger prey to shore. Rarely hunts when soaring, but regularly pursues and pirates other piscivorous birds. It eats fish that are 200 - 1000 g, but also up to 4200 g.

It also feeds upon carrion, waterbirds (including colonial species), mammals (monkeys and hyraxes), reptiles (monitor lizards, terrapins and crocodile hatchlings), frogs and even insects; whatever is locally available. Immature birds feed on the kills of Lions and Leopards in Uganda. At Lake Naivasha in Kenya, Red-knobbed Coots and fish were important prey.

Calls
During its display call, it throws its head backwards and forwards.