Lesser fish eagle
Ichthyophaga humilis
The lesser fish eagle is a species of ''Ichthyophaga'' found in the Indian subcontinent, primarily in the foothills of the Himalayas, and south-east Asia. There have been some stray reports from Gujarat and Central India and in more recent times from the Kaveri river valley in southern India. The distribution in southern India is not yet confirmed.
Lesser fish eagles are fish-eating birds that have feet adapted to aid in gripping slippery fish. They have strongly curved talons, and spicules along the underside of the birds' toes help to grip fish as they pull them from the water.
There are two subspecies: ''Ichthyophaga humilis humilis'', which is native to the Malaysian Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, and Sulawesi; and ''Ichthyophaga humilis plumbea'', which is native to Kashmir through southeast India, Nepal, and Burma towards Indochina.
Lesser fish eagles are fish-eating birds that have feet adapted to aid in gripping slippery fish. They have strongly curved talons, and spicules along the underside of the birds' toes help to grip fish as they pull them from the water.
There are two subspecies: ''Ichthyophaga humilis humilis'', which is native to the Malaysian Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, and Sulawesi; and ''Ichthyophaga humilis plumbea'', which is native to Kashmir through southeast India, Nepal, and Burma towards Indochina.