The African fish eagle hunts in a spectacular way. It perches high in a tree above the water, watching for fish swimming near the surface. When it spots one, it drops like a stone, stretching its talons out at the last moment to snatch the fish straight out of the water. The whole dive takes less than a second. If the fish is too heavy to fly with, the eagle will sometimes drag it across the water's surface to the shore.
Fish eagles have specially roughened pads on their toes called spicules, which grip slippery fish so tightly they almost never drop their catch. They also have a waterproof coating on their feathers, so a quick dip into the river does not weigh them down. Their eyesight is estimated to be four times sharper than a human's.
The call of the African fish eagle is so loud and clear that it can be heard over a kilometre away. Pairs of fish eagles often call together in a duet — one calling, then the other answering — which is how they keep in touch and tell other eagles that a stretch of river belongs to them. Their cry is the national symbol of several African countries, though in Mali it is simply a beloved part of river life.