The African Fish Eagle is one of the iconic birds of Kruger National Park being a well know and easily distinguished raptor. They are often mistaken for the American Bald Eagle by Americans as they both have a white head and a brown body. These majestic birds can usually be found around bodies of water, rivers, dams, and large wetlands as their main food is fish. They are capable of lifting over 4 pounds of fish from the water with their talons.  They also prey on smaller water birds, reptiles and small mammals.

They are usually found alone or in monogamous pairs perched in tall trees where their distinctive loud haunting call “kyow-kyow-kow”, often in duet,  can be heard across the water. They build a large stick nest in winter in a tall  tree near the water  or on a cliff where the female

lays one to three eggs (usually two) which hatch after six weeks. Both the male and female incubate the neat.  The young leave the nest at the end of ten weeks.

The Fish Eagle hunts from a perch often swooping down and catching fish with their talons.  They will often steal food from other smaller birds.