The lesser fish eagle or Haliaeetus humilis, is a medium-sized bird found in the Himalayas, Central India and the Kaveri river valley in southern India. It is also found in Nepal, China and south-east Asia, including Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia. They are mostly gray-brown from above and white from the belly down. The tail is brown with a white base. They have a small head, long neck and a short, rounded tail. The eyes are yellow and its legs are unfeathered and a pale, bluish colour.
As the name suggests, lesser fish eagles primarily hunt fish for food. They live near rivers, lakes and in wetlands. They prefer hill streams and fast-moving water and will often perch on an over-hanging branch watching out for fish. Upon spotting suitable prey, they swoop down and grab the fish from below the surface. They have strongly curved talons and spicules on the underside of the toes to help grip slippery fish. This eagle makes its nest from sticks and green leaves on a tree close to a water source. The nest is usually 1 m across and 1.5 m deep. The clutch may contain two to four eggs. The incubation period for this bird is not known.
This bird is mostly sedentary but high-altitude residents may descend to lower levels in winter. Its global population is estimated to number 15,000 to 75,000 individual birds. A rapid decline in its population has caused it to be listed as ‘Near Threatened’ by the IUCN. Loss of forest cover along water bodies and rivers is the main threat to its survival.
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