African Fish Eagle

The African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) or – to distinguish it from the true fish eagles (Ichthyophaga), the African Sea Eagle – is a large species of eagle that is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water occur that have an abundant food supply. As a result of its large range, it is known in many languages. Examples of names include Visarend in Afrikaans and Aigle Pêcheur in French. It is the national bird of Zimbabwe and Zambia.

This species may resemble the Bald Eagle in appearance; though related, each species occurs on different continents, with the Bald Eagle being resident in North America.

Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 61 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species (the Bald and Golden Eagles) can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in Central and South America, and three in Australia. Many different species of eagle are found in the Philippines.