A Grey-headed Fish Eagle is conducting a class

Alright, little hatchlings, gather around and listen carefully! Now, as you can probably guess from the name Grey-headed Fish Eagle, we are birds of prey, and we are experts when it comes to fishing. This is why we live near rivers, lakes, and even the coast. If there’s plenty of water… you will find plenty of fish to eat! Now, when you are older and flying about and you see a fish, what should you do? Dive down fast, stretch out your sharp talons—those are your big, strong claws—and grab it! Don’t worry, your talons are curved and super strong, which helps you to hold onto slippery fish, even when they’re wet. Now look at your feet. You see those little bumps? Those are called Spicules and they give you even more grip when you grab those fish, making sure your catch doesn't slip away.

Did you know that we have a massive wingspan? It’s almost 6 feet! Not only does this help us fly smoothly, it also gives amazing control when we dive for prey. But there’s another thing that’s even more awesome than that - our super-powered eyesight! Our eyes are special—much sharper than other creatures, and we can see things from really far away. Imagine being able to spot a fish swimming in the water even when it’s hiding or when the water isn’t very clear? This is because our eyes have something called a Fovea, which helps us focus and track the fish. We can see up to five times sharper than humans! So when we're flying high in the sky, we can spot fish below us - easy-peasy! That’s it for today, my little ones. Just remember: with sharp eyes and strong talons, we’re the kings of fishing!

Whilst staying at  Mahoora Tented Safari Camp in Yala, Dilum captured this shot of a rather stern looking Grey-headed Fish Eagle whilst on a safari inside the Park.