Changeable Hawk Eagle and White-bellied Sea Eagle in Pasir Ris Park Singapore

Changeable Hawk Eagle and White-bellied Sea Eagle in Pasir Ris Park Singapore

On the morning of 2 July, about 8:30 am, I was at Carpark B in Pasir Ris Park. When I got off the car, my daughter saw a large bird at a distance on a tree by the Tampines River and alerted me. It was a Changeable Hawk Eagle perching on a low branch. As the eagle was at a distance and it was backlit, I ran to the other side of the tree, along the river, to get a better vantage point. When I reached the ideal spot, I managed to get some good shots. The last time I saw the Changeable Hawk Eagle was in Kanha National Park in India in March 2007.

While a few of us were photographing the eagle, a jogger commented that she saw a giant white bird on the other side of the river near the playground. After a short walk, I saw a few people using their mobile phones pointing at a tree by the Tampines River. It was a White-bellied Sea Eagle, perching on a low branch about 5 m above the ground, with a freshly caught fish in its claws. 

The noisy murderer of crows tried to steal the fish by getting close to the eagle. The White-bellied Sea Eagle flapped its wings (wingspan of 180 to 200 cm) to ward off the crows while clenching tightly to the fish. It flew to a secluded area in the park away from the crowd and found a secure branch to pin the fish down with its claws to start devouring the fish with its razor-sharp beak. That was the moment that I was waiting to capture on camera. 

Changeable Hawk Eagle and White-bellied Sea Eagle in Pasir Ris Park Singapore

I left the White-bellied Fish Eagle to finish its breakfast. It was great to have captured the Changeable Hawk Eagle and White-bellied Sea Eagle at such proximity in Pasir Ris Park Singapore all in one morning.