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The white-tailed eagle ( Haliaeetus albicilla ), sometimes known as the ' sea eagle ', [4] is a large bird of prey, widely distributed across temperate Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which includes other diurnal raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers. One of up to eleven members in the ...
Massive raptor with rather long, heavy bill; broad, plank-like wings; and relatively short, graduated tail. Looks like a flying barn door and soars with wings rather level (not slightly raised like Golden Eagle). Plumage dark overall. Adult has paler brown head and body, white tail, yellowish bill. Immature starts with mostly brown tail streaked white, blackish bill; attains fully white tail ...
- Appearance & Identification
- Calls & Sounds
- Diet
- Habitat & Distribution
- Lifespan & Predation
- Nesting & Breeding
- Behaviour
- Migration
- FAQs
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What do White-tailed Eagles look like?
The White-tailed Eagle is a massive bird of prey with a very large yellow bill and pale yellow feet and eyes. As their name suggests, these birds have a short but distinctive wedge-shaped white tail. The rest of their plumage is chocolate brown, although the head and neck are paler. Females are significantly larger than males but otherwise difficult to distinguish. Juvenile White-tailed Eagles are relatively easy to identify by their dark bill and blackish plumage with pale armpit patches and...
How big are White-tailed Eagles?
The White-tailed Eagle is a massive bird of prey, comparable only with the Golden Eagle in the UK.
What sound does a White-tailed Eagle make?
White-tailed Eagles produce a series of high-pitched notes when calling. They are most vocal in the nesting season when pairs may call together in a duet while perched or in flight. Males and females produce different notes, and the female has a deeper voice. Apart from courtship, these birds also call in alarm or warning if their nest is approached.
What do White-tailed Eagles eat?
White-tailed Sea Eagles are carnivorous birds that take live prey and carrion. Fish and birds are their usual targets, although they will occasionally take small mammals. These eagles frequently swoop down to catch fish at the surface of the water, although they do not dive or immerse themselves. They also hunt water birds and seabirds, either in flight or on the water. Eggs and chicks are taken in the breeding season, and they will also steal the prey from other fishing birds like the Osprey...
What do White-tailed Eagle chicks eat?
White-tailed Eagle chicks eat the same diet as their parents. A study in Lapland revealed that about two-thirds of their diet is fish, with most of the remainder being birds and a small percentage of mammals. The chicks take up to three months to fledge the nest and rely on their parents for another month or so before they can independently feed themselves.
What is the habitat of a White-tailed Eagle?
The White-tailed Eagle usually lives near water, either on the coast or around larger inland lakes and rivers. They require cliffs or tall trees in forested areas for nesting. These birds are largely restricted to the coast and lowlands of southern and eastern England but venture far inland in Scotland.
What is the range of a White-tailed Eagle?
In the UK, White-tailed eagles are most numerous and widespread in Scotland. They have been introduced to the Isle of White and are now scarce but regularly seen on England’s south and east coast. They also occur on the west coast of Ireland. Elsewhere, they are primarily restricted to Europe and Asia, where they are widespread from Iceland in the west to eastern Russia. There is also a resident population on the southwest coast of Greenland.
Where do White-tailed Eagles live?
White Eagles live near the water. They spend most of their time perched (up to 90%), usually in an exposed position like a tree branch or rock, where they can rest and scan for prey.
How long do White-tailed Eagles live?
White-tailed Eagles can live for up to 42 years in captivity, although the oldest wild bird survived for 27 years. They are a naturally long-lived species that only reach sexual maturity after five years.
What are the predators of White-tailed Eagles?
Healthy adult White-tailed Eagles have no major predators, although their eggs and young could be vulnerable to corvids or other birds of prey if left unattended. Humans are their principal enemies, and these birds are particularly susceptible to shooting, intentional and accidental poisoning, and pollution.
Are White-tailed Eagles protected?
White-tailed Eagles are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the United Kingdom.
Where do White-tailed Eagles nest?
White-tailed Eagles build their nests on sea cliffs or high in large trees. Their nest are platforms made mostly from twigs but lined with softer materials like wool and grass. They add on to their nests regularly, and they can become massive structures several meters across and equally deep.
When do White-tailed Eagles nest?
White-tailed Eagles first breed when they are about five years old. In the UK, these birds lay their eggs in March and April and incubate them for about 38 days. The hatchlings spend 70 to 90 days in the nest before fledging.
What do White-tailed Eagle eggs look like?
White-tailed Eagles lay a single clutch of two plain white eggs. The eggs are large, measuring approximately 75 millimetres long and 57 millimetres wide.
Are White-tailed Eagles aggressive?
White-tailed Eagles are not aggressive or dangerous toward humans unless provoked. However, they are territorial toward other eagles when nesting, and intruders will be attacked, sometimes with fatal consequences. We may think of these birds as majestic hunters, but they are not above using aggression and intimidation tactics to get a free meal. These eagles will chase and harass other birds of prey into giving up their own hard-earned food.
Where do White-tailed Eagles sleep at night?
White-tailed Eagles sleep in trees or on cliffs. Pairs often roost near their nest.
Do White-tailed Eagles migrate?
White-tailed Eagles are migratory in some parts of their range but sedentary in others. The population in Western Europe does not migrate, while most of the birds that nest in Western and Central Asia migrate south for the winter.
Are White-tailed Eagles native to the UK?
White-tailed Eagles are native to the United Kingdom. They became extinct as a breeding bird in England by the early 1800s and in Scotland in the early 1900s. They have since been successfully reintroduced to Scotland, Ireland, and England.
Which is bigger, a bald eagle or a White-tailed eagle?
Bald Eaglesare closely related to White-tailed Eagles and can be considered their New-world cousin. These two apex predators have very similar dimensions, although the White-tailed Eagle is marginally shorter and heavier.
Learn about the UK's largest raptor, the White-tailed Eagle, also known as the Sea Eagle. Find out its appearance, diet, habitat, calls, and conservation status.
- Forest, Grassland, Wetlands, Marine
- Widespread across Eurasia, Greenland to Japan
- They’re the 4th largest eagle in the world. This is one of the world’s largest raptors, and the biggest in Britain, as well as many European countries.
- They have a variety of names. As well as the white-tailed eagle, they can also be called the sea eagle, alongside 11 other members from the same genus.
- They’re almost bald eagles. The white-tailed eagle is considered one of a species pair with the American bald eagle. In taxonomy, a “species pair” typically refers to a closely related pair of species that are very similar to each other in terms of their morphology, genetics, and ecological niche.
- They have a 4cm long talon to kill. There’s something awe-inspiring and truly unsettling about a biological implement evolved purely for murder. Many animals kill with apparatuses that can be used for other things, like teeth or hands.
Learn about the largest UK bird of prey, its identification, diet, habitat and conservation status. The White-tailed Eagle is a Schedule 1 species that was reintroduced after extinction in the early 20th century.
Learn about the White-tailed eagle, one of the largest and heaviest eagles in the world, and its distribution, appearance, behavior, and diet. See photos and listen to its calls on Animalia.bio, a website for animal facts and conservation.
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Oct 24, 2023 · White-tailed Eagle: English (United States) White-tailed Eagle: Faroese: Havørn: Finnish: merikotka: French: Pygargue à queue blanche: French (France) Pygargue à ...
