A Catch and a Miss

White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

On a March morning, I visited Pulicat Lake in Chennai outskirts for birding. After watching flamingos for a while, I noticed a white-bellied sea eagle fishing at a distance. It perched on a stump. When it took off, I noticed it also had a huge dead rat in one leg along with the fish in the other leg. While flapping its massive wings, it dropped the rat and flew off with the fish. I had never seen or heard a white-bellied sea eagle prefers rats as prey. It was surprise to know fish eagles can be opportunists as well.