Monday, March 12, 2012

>Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus (Grey-headed Fish Eagle)

Grey-headed Fish Eagle


Grey-headed Fish Eagle
In Kazaringa, Assam, India
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Accipitriformes
Family:Accipitridae
Genus:Ichthyophaga
Species:I. ichthyaetus
Binomial name
Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus
(Horsfield, 1821)
The Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus) is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae.
Grey-headed Fish Eagle breeds in southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka to Southeast asia. It is a forest bird which builds a stick nest in a tree near water and lays two to four eggs.
Grey-headed Fish Eagle is a largish stocky raptor at about 70–75 cm in length. Adults have dark brown wings and back, a grey head and reddish brown breast. The lower belly, thighs and tail are white, the latter having a black terminal band.
Sexes are similar, but young birds have a pale buff head, underparts and underwing, all with darker streaking.
Grey-headed Fish Eagle, as its English and scientific names suggest, is a specialist fish eater which hunts over lakes, lagoons and large rivers.

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