Bird Guide

African Fish Eagle vs White-bellied Sea Eagle

African Fish Eagle (Icthyophaga vocifer)

African Fish Eagle

Icthyophaga vocifer

The African fish eagle is a large bird. The female, at 3.2–3.6 kg (7.1–7.9 lb) is larger than the male, at 2.0–2.5 kg (4.4–5.5 lb). This is typical sexual dimorphism in birds of prey. Males usually have wingspans around 2.0 m (6.6 ft), while females have wingspans of 2.4 m (7.9 ft). The body length is 63–75 cm (25–29.5 in). The adult is very distinctive in appearance with a mostly brown body with a white head like the bald eagle and large, powerful, black wings. The head, breast, and tail of African fish eagles are snow white, except for the featherless face, which is yellow.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Hobbyfotowiki · CC0
White-bellied Sea Eagle (Icthyophaga leucogaster)

White-bellied Sea Eagle

Icthyophaga leucogaster

Huge4.5 kg

The white-bellied sea eagle has a white head, rump and underparts, and dark or slate-grey back and wings. In flight, the black flight feathers on the wings are easily seen when the bird is viewed from below. The large, hooked bill is a leaden blue-grey with a darker tip, and the irides are dark brown. The cere is also lead grey. The legs and feet are yellow or grey, with long black talons (claws). Unlike those of eagles of the genus Aquila, the legs are not feathered. The sexes are similar. Males are 66–80 cm (26–31 in) long and weigh 1.8–3 kg (4.0–6.6 lb).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: The original uploader was Djambalawa at English Wikipedia. · CC BY 3.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: African Fish Eagle and White-bellied Sea Eagle.