What animal appears on Zambia's national flag?

The animal on Zambia’s national flag is an African fish eagle.

The orange eagle appears in flight above a vertical block of red, black, and orange stripes at the flag’s fly end. It represents the ability of Zambia’s people to rise above the nation’s difficulties and is also associated with freedom. The bird is sometimes shortened to “eagle” in quiz answers, but the more precise identification is African fish eagle.

Zambia adopted the flag on 24 October 1964, the day it became independent from British rule as Northern Rhodesia. The green field represents vegetation and agriculture; red recalls the struggle for freedom; black represents the Zambian people and Africa; and orange refers especially to copper and other mineral wealth.

The eagle’s position is unusual because it is not centered. It sits above the colored stripe block toward the fly, or outer, edge of the flag. Zambia slightly modified the design in 1996, including changing the green to a brighter shade and adjusting the eagle to resemble the bird on the national coat of arms.

The eagle should not be confused with a generic heraldic eagle or a crane, another bird used on an African national flag.