The White-tailed Eagle is a large eagle that lives around coasts, large lakes, and rivers in Eurasia. Adults have a pale buff head and a short, wedge-shaped white tail, while adult Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) have a bright white head. The White-tailed Eagle is a rare visitor to the United States.
Appearance
- Appearance
- A huge, broad-winged eagle 26–37 in (66–94 cm) long. Adults are grayish brown with a paler buff head and neck, a yellow bill, and a short white tail.
- Seasonal forms
- Young birds are darker, with a mottled tail and a dark bill. Their adult colors develop over several years.
Look-alikes
Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus
An adult Bald Eagle has a bright white head. An adult White-tailed Eagle has a buff head and a shorter, wedge-shaped white tail.
Steller's Sea-EagleHaliaeetus pelagicus
Steller's Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) has a much larger yellow bill and bold white shoulders and legs. A White-tailed Eagle is plainer brown with a smaller, paler bill.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Seacoasts
- Large lakes
- Rivers and estuaries
- Wetlands
- Range
- Breeds from Greenland and Iceland across northern Europe and Asia. In the United States it has been recorded only rarely, especially in Alaska. It is not a regular breeding bird in the United States.
- Seasonal presence
- Western populations mostly stay put year-round, while eastern birds are largely migratory. Young birds wander more than adults.
Behavior
- Diet
- Mostly fish grabbed near the water's surface, plus waterbirds and some mammals. It readily eats dead animals, especially in winter.
Life cycle
- Nest
- In its Eurasian breeding range, it builds a large stick nest in a tall tree or on a cliff.
Name and classification
- About the name
- The widespread Eurasian (H. a. albicilla) includes birds seen in East Asia. The Greenland subspecies (H. a. groenlandicus) is the one named for its island home.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction