About the Gray-headed Fish-Eagle
The grey-headed fish eagle 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 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.
Source: Wikipedia
Taxonomy & Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Hawks, Eagles, and Kites (Accipitridae) |
| Species | Icthyophaga ichthyaetus |
| Species Codes | gyhfie1, GHFE |
| Conservation | NT Near Threatened |
Frequently Asked Questions
What family does the Gray-headed Fish-Eagle belong to?
The Gray-headed Fish-Eagle (Icthyophaga ichthyaetus) belongs to the Hawks, Eagles, and Kites family (Accipitridae), in the order Accipitriformes.
What is the conservation status of the Gray-headed Fish-Eagle?
The Gray-headed Fish-Eagle is classified as "Near Threatened" (NT) by IUCN Red List.
How can I identify the Gray-headed Fish-Eagle?
The grey-headed fish eagle 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 and the Pall...
Where can I report a Gray-headed Fish-Eagle sighting?
You can log sightings of Gray-headed Fish-Eagle on eBird (ebird.org) using species code gyhfie1, or on iNaturalist.
Related Species in Hawks, Eagles, and Kites 250 species
More Birds in Order Accipitriformes
Quick Stats
Spotted a Gray-headed Fish-Eagle?
Log your sighting on eBird or upload a photo to our AI Bird Identifier!