White-tailed Eagle

White-tailed Eagle

Flying Animal | White-tailed Eagle | This impressive bird is the largest European eagle, with huge club-ended wings which make the bright white tail seem small. The head and beak are large and protrude forward, giving the eagle a vulture-like appearance. The feathers are mottled shades of brown, with pale areas on both the upperwing and the underwing. Above the tail the feathers are reddish-brown, and pale stripes run down to the tip of the tai.

The White-tailed Eagle is a very large bird. It measures 69–95 cm (27–37 in) in length with a 1.82–2.44 m (6.0–8.0 ft) wingspan. Females, typically weighing 4–6.9 kg (8.8–15 lb), are slightly larger than males, which weigh 3.1–5.4 kg (6.8–12 lb).

 

White-tailed Eagle

 

Habitat – White-tailed eagle
Inhabits large, open expanses of lake, coast or river valley in temperate regions and tundra zones. It prefers to be close to undisturbed cliffs or open stands of large, mature trees for nesting  .

White-tailed Eagle

Numbers of white-tailed eagles dropped sharply during the 19th Century and the first half of the 20th Century, and the European range contracted. This trend has been in reverse in the northwest of the range since the 1970s, but it is still in decline in southeast Europe. The continued loss is due to the degradation of wetlands, increasing human disturbance, accidental poisoning, deforestation, and collision with wind generators. It is also susceptible to pollution, accumulating mercury, organochlorine and other pesticides in fatty tissues, which can reduce the breeding success of the white-tailed eagle.

White-tailed Eagle

White-tailed Eagle

White-tailed Eagle

In Europe, the breeding population is estimated to number 5,000-6,600 breeding pairs, equating to 15,000-19,800 individuals (BirdLife International 2004). Europe forms 50-74% of the global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is 20,300-39,600 individuals, although further validation of this estimate is needed.

White-tailed Eagle