12-2-2020 BIOPARC, VALENCIA - AFRICAN FISH EAGLE (Haliaeetus vocifer)
These birds are found throughout sub Saharan Africa and must make an impressive sight in the wild. They grow to around 3.5kg with a wingspan of up to 2.5m, the female being larger than the male. The African fish eagle feeds mainly on fish, which it will swoop down upon from a perch in a tree, snatching the prey from the water with its large clawed talons. The eagle will then fly back to its perch to eat its catch. Should the African fish eagle catch a fish over 1.8 kg (4 pounds) it will be too heavy to allow the eagle to get lift, so it will instead drag the fish across the surface of the water until it reaches the shore. If it catches a fish that is too heavy to even allow the eagle to sustain flight, it will drop into the water and paddle to the nearest shore with its wings.
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