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African fish eagle

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

TheAfrican fish eagle(Icthyophaga vocifer) or theAfrican sea eagleis a large species ofeaglefound throughoutsub-Saharan Africawherever large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply occur. It is thenational birdofMalawi,Namibia,Zambia,andZimbabwe.As a result of its large range, it is known in many languages.[3]Examples of names include: Vis Arend in Afrikaans,nkwaziinChewa,aigle pêcheurinFrench,[4]hungweinShona,inkwaziinisiZulu,andntšhuin Northern Sotho. This species may resemble thebald eaglein appearance; though related, the two species occur on different continents, with the bald eagle being resident in North America.

Taxonomy

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The African fish eagle is a species placed in the genusIcthyophaga(fish eagles). Its closest relative appears to be thecritically endangeredMadagascar fish eagle(I. vociferoides). Like all sea eaglespecies 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. Thevociferis derived from its original genus name, so named by the French naturalistFrançois Levaillant,who called it 'the vociferous one'.[6]

Description

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African fish eagle inLake 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 typicalsexual dimorphismin 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. Theplumageof 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 aweee-ah, hyo-hyoor aheee-ah, heeah-heeah.[8]

Distribution and habitat

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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 theSahara Desert.Several examples of places where they may be resident, include theOrange RiverinSouth AfricaandNamibia,theOkavango DeltainBotswana,andLake MalawiborderingMalawi,Tanzania,andMozambique.The African fish eagle is thought to occur in substantial numbers around the locations ofLake Victoriaand other large lakes in Central Africa, particularly theRift Valleylakes.[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, includinggrasslands,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

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An adult on the nest inLake Baringo,Kenya
Egg

African fish eagles breed during thedry season,when water levels are low. They are believed tomate 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.Siblicidedoes not normally occur in thistaxon,and the parents often successfully rear two or three chicks.[14]Chicks fledge around 70 to 75 days old.Post-fledglingdependence 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

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African fish eagle carrying off acatfishinLake Baringo,Kenya
A juvenile catching a fish
An African fish eagle feeding on its prey, likely a mudfishLabeosp., inKruger 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. Theosprey,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]Mulletsand catfish (Clarias) are common prey, though various fish such ascichlids,tilapias (Oreochromis), lungfish (Protopterus), andcharacinscan be also taken.[16][17][18]EvenAfrican Tigerfish(Hydrocynus vittatus) can be preyed upon by fish eagles, especially while predatingbarn swallows(Hirundo rustica) in flight.[19]

It also feeds onbirds,especiallywaterbirdssuch asducks,cormorants,grebes,darters,hatchlings ofherons and egrets,[18]andgreaterandlesser flamingos.Other prey include smallturtlesandterrapins,babycrocodiles,Nile monitors,skinks,frogs,insects(especiallytermites),[20]andcarrion.Occasionally, it may even take mammalian prey, such ashyrax,monkeys,rats,hares,anddik 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 askleptoparasitism.Targeted species are usually large wading birds such asGoliath herons,hammerkops,andshoebills,as well askingfishers,pelicans,ospreys,and otherfish eagles,which usually hunt large fish and take a long time to handle them.[21][23][18]

Relationship with humans

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Conservation

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

Heraldry

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In the form of theZimbabwe Bird,it is the national bird of Zimbabwe and appears on theZimbabwean flag.The bird also figures in the coats of arms ofMalawi,Namibia,Zambia,andSouth Sudan,and on theZambian flag.[citation needed]

Mummies

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

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References

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  1. ^abBirdLife International (2020)."Haliaeetus vocifer".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2020:e.T22695115A174556979.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22695115A174556979.en.Retrieved12 November2021.
  2. ^"Appendices | CITES".cites.org.Retrieved2022-01-14.
  3. ^"African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) - Birds.com: Online Birds Guide with Facts, Articles, Videos, and Photos".Birds.com.Retrieved2012-12-12.
  4. ^"African Fish Eagle videos, photos and facts - Haliaeetus vocifer".ARKive. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-12-27.Retrieved2012-12-12.
  5. ^Wink, M.; Heidrich, P.; Fentzloff, C. (1996)."A mtDNA phylogeny of sea eagles (genusHaliaeetus) based on nucleotide sequences of the cytochromebgene "(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.ISBN978-0-7021-7675-3.
  7. ^"African fish eagle - Wilkinson's World".wilkinsonsworld.com.14 February 2010.Retrieved18 April2018.
  8. ^ab"Fish Eagle".The Booking Company. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-03-25.Retrieved2012-12-12.
  9. ^"Art Of The Wild by Roger Brown.: Cry of the African Fish Eagle".Artofthewildrogerbrown.blogspot.com. 2011-05-10.Retrieved2012-12-12.
  10. ^"African Fish Eagle {Haliaeetus vocifer}".Sa-venues.com.Retrieved2012-12-12.
  11. ^"BBC Nature - African fish eagle videos, news and facts".Bbc.co.uk. 1970-01-01.Retrieved2012-12-12.
  12. ^abWildscreen."African Fish Eagle".eol.org.Encyclopedia of Life.Retrieved11 April2016.
  13. ^Orban, David."Haliaeetus vocifer African fish eagle".Animal Diversity Web.University of Michigan.Retrieved11 April2016.
  14. ^abBotha, André; et al. (2012).Eagles and Farmers(PDF).Birds of Prey Programme, Endangered Wildlife Trust.ISBN978-0-620-11147-8.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 18 February 2017.Retrieved11 April2016.
  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. ^abSTEWART, 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. ^abc"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. ^ab"The African fish eagle".Encounter.co.za. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-01-17.Retrieved2012-12-12.
  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.Retrieved2012-12-12.
  25. ^Gautier, Achilles (2005)."Animal Mummies and Remains from the Necropolis of Elkab (Upper Egypt)".archaeofauna.14:139–170.Retrieved25 December2023.
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