Grey-headed Fish-eagle

Description:

"The grey-headed fish eagle (Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus) is a fish-eating bird of prey from South East Asia. It is a large stocky raptor with adults having dark brown upper body, grey head and lighter underbelly and white legs. ... Ichthyaetus come from the Greek terms meaning fish-eagle, ichtys-fish and aetos-eagle." (Wiki)

Habitat:

Scanning the waters for fish at the Prek Toal Core Bird Reserve, Tonle Sap Lake, near Siem Reap.

Notes:

This bird is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCNredlist. "The [Prek Toal] sanctuary harbours seven species of water birds of global significance: Spot billed Pelican, Milky Stork, Painted Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Greater Adjutant, Black headed Ibis, Oriental Darter, there is a globally significant population of Grey-headed Fish Eagles and the secretive Masked Finfoot was spotted on an SVC trip in March 2011, over 150 species have been recorded in the reserve. The Prek Toal area consists of seasonally inundated freshwater swamp forest with a high botanical diversity. Short tree shrub makes up most of the landscape, forming a dense under story with scattered large trees, which form the vital nesting ground for large water birds. Prek Toal is unmatched throughout South East Asia for the number and populations of endangered water birds it supports through the dry season. Large flocks of cormorants, storks and pelicans are almost guaranteed from January to May, along with herons, egrets and terns." (Sam Veasna Center) Reference: Identification verified by our guide from the Sam Veasna Center (http://samveasna.org/index.html) "Breeding in the Prek Toal protected area of the Tonlé Sap follow the flood regimes that begin in September, with eggs near hatching or hatching at peak flood waters in October–November." (Wiki)