African Fish Eagle

Scientific name Haliaeetus vocifer Afrikaans name Visarend.

- Koos Pieters

I think if you walked up to anybody in the street and showed them the picture of an African Fish Eagle, he or she would probably recognise the bird. It is probably one of the best-known birds of prey on the planet: its extraordinary fishing style and unique yelping call must have been seen in wildlife documentaries by millions of television viewers across the globe.

That said, the image on this page may not be very recognisable, as it is of an immature bird which looks nothing like the adult. You would also be forgiven for mistaking this juvenile bird for an immature Osprey, which is slightly smaller, but also a specialist fishing raptor.

The African Fish Eagle occurs all over Africa from the shores of the southern Cape to the southern edge of the Sahara. If you consult your bird guide, you will find that they are absent from arid areas of the Northern Cape and Namibia, for obvious reasons. But, of course, they can fly long distances, and are attracted by large dams even in drier areas.