Continuing with my 2017 visit to Uganda.. This is an African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer), spotted along the Kazinga Channel which connects Lake George and Lake Edward in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park. Our guide was especially proud to have the opportunity to point this one out to us.

It’s a distant cousin of the North America Bald Eagle, but this one is only found in Sub-Saharan Africa where it’s considered fairly common. According to the Birds of Uganda book I bought yesterday –and which got soaked and nearly ruined during the torrential downpour that lasted the entire length of an early morning Chimp tracking hike– it’s been known to capture fish up to 10kg (22lbs) in size.

Adults typically weigh between 3 and 6.5kg (6.6 to 14 lbs), their preferred habitat is wetlands, lakes and rivers throughout Sub-Saharan Africa where they primarily feed on fish. As noted, sometimes very large ones.

More:

• African Fish Eagle at Birds of the World
• African Fish Eagle at BirdLife DataZone
• African Fish Eagle at eBird
• African Fish Eagle at Avibase
• African Fish Eagle at Wikipedia
• African Fish Eagle at iNaturalist

Photos from 30 March, 2017. Post last updated on 27 August 2025.