The Madagascar Fish Eagle
An animal that feeds on other animals but has no predators itself is called an apex predator. When an apex predator's population is healthy, so is the ecosystem it inhabits. When an apex predator disappears, it may set off a chain of events that threatens the ecosystem.
The Madagascar fish eagle is the apex predator of its ecosystem. This large bird of prey perches in large trees or on cliffs. From there, it scans lakes, rivers, and coastal waters for food. Studies suggest that Madagascar fish eagles have always existed in small numbers. Still, they control the populations of fish and other animals they eat in the ecosystem.
As you watch this video, listen for how people have changed the Madagascar fish eagle’s habitat.
| Keyboard Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Pause/Play video playback |
| Enter | Pause/Play video playback |
| m | Mute/Unmute video volume |
| Up and Down arrows | Increase and decrease volume by 10% |
| Right and Left arrows | Seek forward or backward by 5 seconds |
| 0-9 | Fast seek to x% of the video. |
| f | Enter or exit fullscreen. (Note: To exit fullscreen in flash press the Esc key. |
| c | Press c to toggle captions on or off |
Statistics
- Size: 24–26 in. long, 4.8–7.7 lbs.
- Diet: mainly fish, but also crabs, turtles, and other birds
- Natural predators: none
- Range: western and northwestern Madagascar
- Population: fewer than 400 individuals in the wild
- Why endangered: habitat loss caused by human activities, especially deforestation, land development, and pollution
Did You Know?
- The fish eagle is Madagascar’s largest bird of prey.
- Adult female fish eagles lay two eggs at a time, but only one chick—the bigger and stronger sibling—will survive.
- Some people in Madagascar believe that the foot of a fish eagle carries healing powers. As a result, many eagles are trapped and their legs cut off.
JOEL (voiceover): The island of Madagascar has more variety of animals than anyplace I’ve ever photographed. And even though there’s a lot of devastation here, just seeing the variety of species has been pretty inspiring. I’m hoping that when people see images of this Madagascar pochard, the tomato frog, and the giant zonosaur, they’ll understand what biodiversity looks like . . . and just how special Madagascar is.
It’s like a living laboratory, with thousands of species found nowhere else in the world, that have adapted to every part of the island. Like the Madagascar fish eagle, an animal particularly hard hit by deforestation. Because when it’s not fishing, it’s probably up in a tree.
They’re just one of hundreds of species here whose numbers are declining right along with the trees. Once found across Madagascar, their numbers have dropped to under 400 in the wild. Eagles, regardless of where they live, are at the top of their food chain. They keep populations of smaller birds, rodents, and fish in check. A broken food chain puts this whole ecosystem out of whack.
Take Notes
In the space below, write short responses (2–3 sentences apiece) to the following:
- What evidence in the video supports the idea that habitat loss caused a change in the Madagascar fish eagle population?
- What additional evidence would you need to support the claim that this disruption caused their population to drop?
(Click SAVE when you have finished. To see your saved or submitted work again, click MY WORK at the top of the page.)
