African Fish Eagle
SA4x4|August 2017

Scientific name Haliaeetus vocifer Afrikaans name Visarend.

Koos Pieters
African Fish Eagle

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.

This story is from the August 2017 edition of SA4x4.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the August 2017 edition of SA4x4.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM SA4X4View All
SA4x4

Uganda The Pearl Of Africa

This trip, the very last in the series of stories from Dan Grec’s two-year Africa round trip, details a scary mishap and some extraordinary wildlife encounters

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 2020
Chewy, But Edible
SA4x4

Chewy, But Edible

Take another look at those garden pests

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2020
Auto Perfection?
SA4x4

Auto Perfection?

Adding a six-speed auto to Mahindra’s workhorse ups the game for this value proposition

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2020
SA4x4

Defenders On Tour

The second 2019 Defender Trophy event kicked off in Limpopo and was unique in that participants camped in three different countries…

time-read
9 mins  |
March 2020
SA4x4

Rad Rig The Dream Catcher

Motorhome world’s one-of-a-kind luxury globetrotter

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2020
The Difference Between An Overlander And An Offroader
SA4x4

The Difference Between An Overlander And An Offroader

A very important distinction needs to be made between the offroader and the overland traveller; often the two are thought to be the same.

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2020
Steelmate TP-S9
SA4x4

Steelmate TP-S9

Solar powered TPMS (External sensor)

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2020
SA4x4

Light on the dark side

VW AMAROK DARK LABEL

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2020
Monkey business!
SA4x4

Monkey business!

Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) are the most widespread of the African monkeys; occurring from the Ethiopian Rift Valley, highlands east of the Rift, and southern Somalia, through the eastern lowlands of Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia (east of the Luangwa Valley), Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and all nine provinces in South Africa.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2020
SA4x4

GREAT ZOOKS

There are a few mishaps as a bunch of Jimnys tackle one of Lesotho’s premier off-road challenges, Baboon’s Pass

time-read
10 mins  |
March 2020