Home › Aves › Accipitridae › Gray-headed Fish-Eagle (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus)
SPECIES PROFILE
Gray-headed Fish-Eagle (Haliaeetus ichthyaetus)
Haliaeetus
IUCN STATUS
Near Threatened
CONSERVATION STATUS
Near Threatened
CLASS
Aves
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Indian subcontinent southeast Asia
DIET
Carnivorous
HABITAT
Coastal wetlands rivers lakes
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Aves
ORDER
Accipitriformes
FAMILY
Accipitridae
GENUS
Haliaeetus
📋 Description
SIZE
69-74 cm long 1.8-2.7 kg
COLORATION
Brown with gray head white tail base yellow beak
ADAPTATIONS
Strong talons for fish catching broad wings for soaring
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Coastal wetlands rivers lakes
DIET
Carnivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Indian subcontinent southeast Asia
REPRODUCTION
Lays 2-4 eggs in tree nests incubated 35-40 days
DIET DETAILS
Fish crustaceans small birds
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Habitat loss overfishing
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Fish Snatchers: Gray-headed Fish-Eagles swoop with 2.2 kg bodies catching 400 grams of fish daily in Chilika's waters. Their gray heads are distinctive.
2
Wetland Watchers: These eagles cover 3000 sq km in Odisha's lakes nesting near water. Pollution threatens their fish prey.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Chilika Lake in Odisha
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan
Sundarbans National Park in West Bengal
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
October-March Dry season concentrates fish for spotting eagles
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Watch gray-headed fish-eagles perched near waterbodies
