White-tailed Eagle

The White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla, also known as the Sea Eagle is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which includes other raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers. It is considered a close cousin of the Bald Eagle and occupies the same ecological niche, but in Eurasia.

The White-tailed Eagle is a large bird, 69–92 cm long with a 182–244 cm wingspan. Females, weighing 4–6.9 kg, are slightly larger than males, which weigh 3.1-5.4 kg. It is the fourth largest eagle in the World. It has broad "barn door" wings, a large head and a thick "meat-cleaver" beak. The adult is mainly brown except for the paler head and neck, blackish flight feathers, distinctive white tail, and yellow bill and legs. In juvenile birds the tail and bill are darker, with the tail becoming white with a dark terminal band in sub-adults.

The White-tailed Eagle breeds in northern Europe and northern Asia. The largest population in Europe is found along the coast of Norway. The World population in 2008 stands at only 9,000 - 11,000 pairs. They are mostly resident, only the northernmost birds such as the eastern Scandinavian and Siberian population migrating south in winter.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_Eagle - 05.10.2010