White tailed sea eagle.

In this post I will be ID'ing the White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla). It belongs in the family Accipitridae which is home to hawks, kites, harriers and some old world vultures as mentioned in my 2nd post. It is interesting to note that they are actually a close cousin of the Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) despite being found in separate locations. The first formal description of the eagle was published in 1758 by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus. The name Haliaeetus is new latin meaning "Sea eagle", as the name suggests all eagles of the family hunt primarily for fish, although other prey items are often eaten in conjunction.  

Side profile, the large strong beak is adapt at ripping apart fish.

Size : 66 - 94 cm (26-37 inches) long with a 1.78 - 2.45 m (5.8- 8.0 ft) wingspan. 
Ecology : Eurasia.
Sexual Dimorphism : No, although females are larger and heavier.
Habitat : Large bodies of water with abundant food supply and old, large trees for nesting.
Conservation status : Least concern. (Red in the UK).
The White tailed eagle has on average the largest wingspan of any eagle, however the Steller's sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) is larger in weight and total length. The Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is roughly the same size as the White tailed eagle but has a shorter wingspan and longer body on average. Although always up for debate the White tailed eagle is considered both the 4th heaviest eagle and the 4th largest eagle in the world. On average the White tailed eagles weight 3.1-6.9 kg (6.8-15.2 lb), the males are smaller than the females and thus weight less so are typically around 3.1-5.4 kg (6.8-11.9 lb). Recently it has been discovered that size and weight also depends on the eagles location, eagles in Greenland have averaged to be the largest and heaviest populations whilst eagles in the Middle East tend to be on average the smallest/ lightest. The population in Greenland appears to be demographically isolated and many argue that this population deserves special protection although no unique genetic characteristics have yet to be found.

White tailed eagle calling, they certainly don't sound like you'd expect.

The White tailed eagle changes colours gradually as it grows into an adult, juveniles have a darker bill and tail which eventually becomes white as it reaches a sub-adult.  The eagle moults roughly 5 times before becoming its final colouration. The average age for a White tailed eagle is 21 years with some being recorded as being 25+, most eagles however will not live to this age as risk of hunting, poisoning and collisions are high. The diet of the White tailed eagle as stated earlier is primarily of fish however, the eagles are opportunistic feeders and will also eat other birds and mammals with many eagles even resulting to scavenging off other animals as it provides an easy meal. It is not uncommon to see White tailed eagles acting very alert when they are eating as they are all too aware that another eagle may try to sneak the food away.  

The white tailed eagles wings are often described as two big doors, you can see why here.

It takes a White tailed eagle 4-5 years before it is sexually mature. They pair for life though will re-pair if one of the eagles dies. The eagles build a permanent nest which they will revisit for life often adding to the nest every time, it is not unheard of for trees to collapse under this weight as White tailed eagle nests are very large. One nest in Iceland has been used for 150 years by generations of the original nesters! A mated pair of eagles produce 1 to 3 eggs a year between March and April. When the chicks hatch they cooperate well, although the 1st to hatch will be dominant during feeding meaning sometimes other siblings die to starvation. When the chicks which survived are 11-12 weeks they fledge but will often stay near the nest and often depend on the parents for another 6-10 weeks. 

Lastly I would like to address the White tailed eagle in relation to their populations within the UK. Sadly, as with the case in most of Europe the White tailed eagle was hunted to extinction in the United Kingdom between 1800-1970. Norway gave the UK roughly 70 White tailed eagles with the hope of reintroduction into Northern Ireland and Scotland, sadly most of these eagles were shot illegally due to the myth that they eat lambs or babies (both of which have not been recorded!) however some remained in Donegal, Ireland and in northern Scotland. With time these eagles have slowly begun to repopulate the area (very slowly) and have started to gradually spread across the UK. Although this is still very much in north Scotland and around Donegal (with an occasional eagle sited near Belleek in Northern Ireland). The RSPB lists that there are roughly 106 pairs in the UK, hopefully over the years this eagle thrives and we can enjoy them in the wild all across the island. 

  I have not had the luck to see one of these in the wild when travelling in Ireland and Northern Ireland but am aware of sightings within the area on reputable bird sites. I will be visiting Scotland within this year in Mull where White tailed eagles are known to nest so I really look forward to seeing this beautiful bird in the wild. This eagle was down in Sligo, Ireland at a raptor research centre.