Langkawi Eagles

photo from http://leongyiyang.blogspot.com.

The name Langkawi comes from the Maly words for "red eagle". Langkawi is well known for the many birds of prey that soar above the island.

The Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus), sometimes known as the Red-backed Sea-eagle, is the most common bird of prey in Langkawi. In fact, the iconic tourist symbol for Langkawi is a large statue of this species that sits in Eagle Square located near the ferry teminal in Kuah, the main town on Pulau Langkawi. I saw the statue from a distance, but because I was always carrying too much luggage and I was on a tight schedule, I was unable to take a photo of the statue myself. Luckily, it seems that every other tourist who has ever visited the island has posted a photo on the internet (see photo above).

The Brahminy Kite is primarily a scavenger, feeding mainly on dead fish and crabs, but they will sometimes hunt for live prey such as hares and bats. They will sometimes try to steal food from other species of birds (a behavior known as "kleptoparasitism").

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahminy_Kite

During our boat tour through the mangroves we passed through a part of the river that was popular with the birds of prey. I think that some of the boats might have thrown food in the water to attract the birds, but our boat didn't. Here are a few shots of the eagles I saw.