Lesser fish eagle

Lesser Fish Eagle
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Subkingdom	Bilateria
Branch	Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass	Tetrapoda
Class	Aves
Sub-class	Neornithes
Infra-class	Neoaves
Order Information
Order	Accipitriformes
Sub-order	Accipitres
Family Information
Superfamily	Accipitroidea
Family	Accipitridae
Sub-family	Haliaeetinae
Genus Information
Genus	Haliaeetus
Species Information
Species	H. humilis
Synonyms	Icthyophaga humilis
Population statistics
Population	10,000-50,000
Conservation status	Near threatened

The lesser fish eagle (Haliaeetus humilis) is a species of bird of prey of the family Accipitridae, and found in southern and southeastern Asia.

Description

The lesser fish eagle is medium-sized, about 25.2 inches long, with a wingspan of 3 feet 11 inches, and a body weight of 27 ounces. The plumage above and below is gray predominantly, with a wash of brown. Primaries, secondaries, and tail are a darker gray. Lower belly, legs, and the under base of the tail are white. The bird is stout in appearance, broad-winged, but carries a head slightly small for its size compared to other birds of prey. Juvenile birds are more brown in color, and streaked.

The call is a loud, almost cat-like cry, with much of the calling taking place during the breeding season, reduced to regular calls when on the nest.

Subspecies

• Haliaeetus humilis humilis; Malaysia to Indonesia (Borneo, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Banggai and Sula islands)
• Haliaeetus humilis plumbea; India (Kashmir) to southeastern Asia and southern China (Hainan)

Range and habitat

The lesser fish eagle is found in southern and southeastern Asia, from the south flank of the Himalaya mountains in northern India, eastward to Nepal and Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the larger islands of Indonesia. A small population also exists in southern India, and has a non-breeding residency in southern China. It inhabits forested wetlands and rivers, from 600 up to 7,200 feet in elevation.

Reproduction

Breeding season takes place from November to March in Burma and from March to May in India and Nepal. A large, massive nest is constructed in a tree near a body of water, up to 30 feet above the ground; like many other eagles they return to the same nest in consecutive years, adding new material with the result that the nest is larger over time. The interior is lined with grass and green leaves to provided a soft area for the chicks.

The clutch includes 2 or 3 eggs, off-white in color and oval in shape. The incubation period lasts about a month, with both parents alternating in incubating and the rearing of the chicks.

Threats

A loss of numbers has been noticed, with blame falling upon human activity and encroachment within the bird's habitat, including deforestation, over-fishing, and increased use of waterways as a means of travel and commerce. A stark decline was also noted in the area of Uttar Pradesh, India, with much of the blame centering on pesticide use.