Lesser Fish-Eagle

The lesser fish eagle is a medium-sized bird of prey that is primarily gray-brown in colour with broad, blunt wings and coarse featherless legs. They are smaller than the similar Icthyophaga ichthyaetus (grey-headed fish eagle) and may often get confused with the similar species. The lesser fish eagle has a brown breast with white thighs and belly. They have a short, rounded tail with a long neck and a small head. Juvenile lesser fish eagles are similar in appearance to adults, although they have brown eyes whereas an adult has yellow. Adults have a wingspan reaching 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) and can grow to up to 64 centimetres (25 in) tall.

They inhabit various forms of rivers, lakes, and wetlands and are seen most often along hill streams and fast moving water. They have been known to reach heights up to 2,400 m, but usually create their habitats below 1,000 m (3,280 ft). Some specific eagles have been recorded to reach heights exceeding 4,000 m (13,120 ft) in Nepal.

The lesser fish eagle feeds primarily on fish, which it snatches from the water as it observes them from above on a perch, which may be an overhanging tree or rock in the middle of a stream. They have several personal perches that they often switch between throughout their feeding time. As their diet is primarily fish, lesser fish eagles have large, curved talons specialized for catching fish and taking them from the water.