White-tailed Eagle

Habitat: Always near water, both fresh and salt, nesting in trees or on cliffs. From deep fjords and coastal islands to large inland lakes, reservoirs and rivers, as long as there are unspoilt areas nearby.

Appearance: A solidly built eagle that is resident in large parts of Eastern Europe, but very localised as a result of persecution, although good areas may have a few pairs. Further east, it occurs as far as Siberia and the Pacific coast. Siberian birds migrate southwest to Western Europe. An introduced population breeds in Scotland. Largest numbers are found in Norway. In Belgium and the Netherlands, it is an extremely rare breeding bird, a year bird and winter visitor in very small numbers.

Breeding season: February – August. Nests in trees – usually the pair has a number of nests, from which it selects one in the spring and refurbishes it. An old nest of a sea eagle can sometimes be two metres wide and five metres high. They are therefore the largest bird nests in the world. Two eggs.

Characteristics: Length 76 – 92 cm, wingspan 200 – 240 cm, weight 3100 – 6900 grams, age over 30 years.

Food: Sea eagles hunt both on water and on land. They can overpower fish weighing up to 8 kg, but also ambush foxes and hares. They tirelessly chase diving birds and grab them when they come up for air. They catch geese, swans and cranes, and even steal the prey of ospreys.