29-3-2025 YALA NAT PARK, SRI LANKA - GREY HEADED FISH EAGLE (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus)

The Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Icthyophaga ichthyaetus) is a robust raptor, cloaked in dark brown plumage with a contrasting pale grey head. Its underbelly is lighter, and it boasts white legs. The tail is white with a distinctive broad black subterminal band. This bird of prey exhibits sexual dimorphism, with females typically outweighing males.

Adults display a grey-brown back with a pale grey head and pale iris. The breast and neck are brown, while the wings are dark brown with blacker primaries. Juveniles are paler with brown heads and necks, greyer on the sides of the throat, and exhibit buff supercilia and whitish streaks. Their tails are marbled black and white with a broader dark subterminal band and a white tip.

Inhabiting lowland forests up to 1,500 meters above sea level, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle is found near water bodies such as rivers, lakes, lagoons, reservoirs, marshes, swamps, and coastal lagoons and estuaries. It is also known to frequent irrigation tanks in Sri Lanka.

This eagle's range extends from India and Southeast Asia to Malaysia, Western Indonesia, and the Philippines. It is generally uncommon, with varying local presence across its distribution.

A sedentary and often solitary bird, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle spends much time perched on bare branches overlooking water, swooping down occasionally to catch fish. Its flight appears heavy, with sharp wing-beats, and it rarely soars, likely due to its habitat.

Its vocal repertoire includes a gurgling "awh-awhr" and "chee-warr," an "ooo-wok," a nasally "uh-wuk," and a loud, high-pitched scream. These calls are typically emitted from a perch or in flight, becoming more vocal during the breeding season.

Breeding seasons vary across its range, with nests built high in trees near water. The clutch size ranges from 2 to 4 eggs, but typically only 2 white eggs are laid. Both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties.

Specializing in piscivory, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle preys on live fish and scavenges for dead ones. It may also consume reptiles, birds, and small mammals. It hunts from perches or by quartering over water, using its recurved talons to snatch fish.

Listed as Near-Threatened, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle faces threats from habitat loss, deforestation, over-fishing, and pollution. Its population is estimated between 10,000–100,000 mature individuals, with a declining trend.

21-3-2025 WATER GARDENS, SIGIRIYA - GREY HEADED FISH EAGLE (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus)

The Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Icthyophaga ichthyaetus) is a robust raptor, cloaked in dark brown plumage with a contrasting pale grey head. Its underbelly is lighter, and it boasts white legs. The tail is white with a distinctive broad black subterminal band. This bird of prey exhibits sexual dimorphism, with females typically outweighing males.

Adults display a grey-brown back with a pale grey head and pale iris. The breast and neck are brown, while the wings are dark brown with blacker primaries. Juveniles are paler with brown heads and necks, greyer on the sides of the throat, and exhibit buff supercilia and whitish streaks. Their tails are marbled black and white with a broader dark subterminal band and a white tip.

Inhabiting lowland forests up to 1,500 meters above sea level, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle is found near water bodies such as rivers, lakes, lagoons, reservoirs, marshes, swamps, and coastal lagoons and estuaries. It is also known to frequent irrigation tanks in Sri Lanka.

This eagle's range extends from India and Southeast Asia to Malaysia, Western Indonesia, and the Philippines. It is generally uncommon, with varying local presence across its distribution.

A sedentary and often solitary bird, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle spends much time perched on bare branches overlooking water, swooping down occasionally to catch fish. Its flight appears heavy, with sharp wing-beats, and it rarely soars, likely due to its habitat.

Its vocal repertoire includes a gurgling "awh-awhr" and "chee-warr," an "ooo-wok," a nasally "uh-wuk," and a loud, high-pitched scream. These calls are typically emitted from a perch or in flight, becoming more vocal during the breeding season.

Breeding seasons vary across its range, with nests built high in trees near water. The clutch size ranges from 2 to 4 eggs, but typically only 2 white eggs are laid. Both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties.

Specializing in piscivory, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle preys on live fish and scavenges for dead ones. It may also consume reptiles, birds, and small mammals. It hunts from perches or by quartering over water, using its recurved talons to snatch fish.

Listed as Near-Threatened, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle faces threats from habitat loss, deforestation, over-fishing, and pollution. Its population is estimated between 10,000–100,000 mature individuals, with a declining trend.

20-3-2025 WATER GARDENS SIGIRIYA, SRI LANKA - GREY HEADED FISH EAGLE (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus)

The grey-headed fish eagle (Icthyophaga ichthyaetus) is a fish-eating bird of prey from Southeast Asia. It is a large stocky raptor with adults having dark brown upper body, grey head and lighter underbelly and white legs. Juveniles are paler with darker streaking. It is often confused with the lesser fish eagle (Icthyophaga humilis) and the Pallas's fish eagle. The lesser fish eagle is similar in plumage but smaller and the Pallas's fish eagle shares the same habitat and feeding behaviour but is larger with longer wings and darker underparts. Is often called tank eagle in Sri Lanka due to its fondness for irrigation tanks.

The Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Icthyophaga ichthyaetus) is a robust raptor, cloaked in dark brown plumage with a contrasting pale grey head. Its underbelly is lighter, and it boasts white legs. The tail is white with a distinctive broad black subterminal band. This bird of prey exhibits sexual dimorphism, with females typically outweighing males.

Adults display a grey-brown back with a pale grey head and pale iris. The breast and neck are brown, while the wings are dark brown with blacker primaries. Juveniles are paler with brown heads and necks, greyer on the sides of the throat, and exhibit buff supercilia and whitish streaks. Their tails are marbled black and white with a broader dark subterminal band and a white tip.

Inhabiting lowland forests up to 1,500 meters above sea level, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle is found near water bodies such as rivers, lakes, lagoons, reservoirs, marshes, swamps, and coastal lagoons and estuaries. It is also known to frequent irrigation tanks in Sri Lanka.

This eagle's range extends from India and Southeast Asia to Malaysia, Western Indonesia, and the Philippines. It is generally uncommon, with varying local presence across its distribution.

A sedentary and often solitary bird, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle spends much time perched on bare branches overlooking water, swooping down occasionally to catch fish. Its flight appears heavy, with sharp wing-beats, and it rarely soars, likely due to its habitat.

Its vocal repertoire includes a gurgling "awh-awhr" and "chee-warr," an "ooo-wok," a nasally "uh-wuk," and a loud, high-pitched scream. These calls are typically emitted from a perch or in flight, becoming more vocal during the breeding season.

Breeding seasons vary across its range, with nests built high in trees near water. The clutch size ranges from 2 to 4 eggs, but typically only 2 white eggs are laid. Both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties.

Specializing in piscivory, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle preys on live fish and scavenges for dead ones. It may also consume reptiles, birds, and small mammals. It hunts from perches or by quartering over water, using its recurved talons to snatch fish.

Listed as Near-Threatened, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle faces threats from habitat loss, deforestation, over-fishing, and pollution. Its population is estimated between 10,000–100,000 mature individuals, with a declining trend.

18-3-2025 WATER GARDENS LODGE SIGIRIYA, SRI LANKA - GREY HEADED FISH EAGLE (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus)

The grey-headed fish eagle (Icthyophaga ichthyaetus) is a fish-eating bird of prey from Southeast Asia. It is a large stocky raptor with adults having dark brown upper body, grey head and lighter underbelly and white legs. Juveniles are paler with darker streaking. It is often confused with the lesser fish eagle (Icthyophaga humilis) and the Pallas's fish eagle. The lesser fish eagle is similar in plumage but smaller and the Pallas's fish eagle shares the same habitat and feeding behaviour but is larger with longer wings and darker underparts. Is often called tank eagle in Sri Lanka due to its fondness for irrigation tanks.

Adults display a grey-brown back with a pale grey head and pale iris. The breast and neck are brown, while the wings are dark brown with blacker primaries. Juveniles are paler with brown heads and necks, greyer on the sides of the throat, and exhibit buff supercilia and whitish streaks. Their tails are marbled black and white with a broader dark subterminal band and a white tip.

Inhabiting lowland forests up to 1,500 meters above sea level, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle is found near water bodies such as rivers, lakes, lagoons, reservoirs, marshes, swamps, and coastal lagoons and estuaries. It is also known to frequent irrigation tanks in Sri Lanka.

This eagle's range extends from India and Southeast Asia to Malaysia, Western Indonesia, and the Philippines. It is generally uncommon, with varying local presence across its distribution.

A sedentary and often solitary bird, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle spends much time perched on bare branches overlooking water, swooping down occasionally to catch fish. Its flight appears heavy, with sharp wing-beats, and it rarely soars, likely due to its habitat.

Its vocal repertoire includes a gurgling "awh-awhr" and "chee-warr," an "ooo-wok," a nasally "uh-wuk," and a loud, high-pitched scream. These calls are typically emitted from a perch or in flight, becoming more vocal during the breeding season.

Breeding seasons vary across its range, with nests built high in trees near water. The clutch size ranges from 2 to 4 eggs, but typically only 2 white eggs are laid. Both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties.

Specializing in piscivory, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle preys on live fish and scavenges for dead ones. It may also consume reptiles, birds, and small mammals. It hunts from perches or by quartering over water, using its recurved talons to snatch fish.

Listed as Near-Threatened, the Grey-headed Fish Eagle faces threats from habitat loss, deforestation, over-fishing, and pollution. Its population is estimated between 10,000–100,000 mature individuals, with a declining trend.

24-5-2023 SUKAU RIVER LODGE, BORNEO - GREY HEADED FISH EAGLE (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus)

The grey-headed fish eagle (Icthyophaga ichthyaetus) is a fish-eating bird of prey from South East Asia. It is a large stocky raptor with adults having dark brown upper body, grey head and lighter underbelly and white legs. Juveniles are paler with darker streaking. It is often confused with the lesser fish eagle (Icthyophaga humilis) and the Pallas's fish eagle. The lesser fish eagle is similar in plumage but smaller and the Pallas's fish eagle shares the same habitat and feeding behaviour but is larger with longer wings and darker underparts. Is often called tank eagle in Sri Lanka due to its fondness for irrigation tanks.